Ukraine has compared Russia to the Islamic State militant group after a video was shared online of Russian soldiers beheading a Ukrainian soldier. Kyiv has also called on the International Criminal Court to look into the matter.
In a video message on Wednesday, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba likened Moscow to Islamic State following video footage circulating online of Russian soldiers filming themselves attempting to behead a Ukrainian soldier with a knife. Kuleba also cited how Russia is currently the president of the United Nations Security Council.
“It’s absurd that Russia, which is worse than ISIS, is presiding over the UNSC,” tweeted Kuleba. “Russian terrorists must be kicked out of Ukraine and the UN and be held accountable.”
While Russia has previously denied allegations that its forces were committing atrocities in Ukraine, the Kremlin said the video was “awful” and that the authenticity must be investigated. Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria are known for sharing videos of decapitating captives online when they controlled large portions of the two countries from 2014 to 2017.
“There is something that no one in the world can ignore: How easily these beasts kill,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an evening video address. “There will be legal responsibility for everything. The defeat of terror is necessary.”
The Ukrainian foreign ministry called on the ICC for an investigation into the video. Ukrainian deputy defense minister Hanna Malyar told people online not to identify the soldier publicly until the identity is officially established by authorities. Malyar also urged people to stop sharing the video online.
The Ukrainian domestic security agency said it launched an investigation into the suspected war crime in the video. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was appalled by the video that was since posted on social media.
Meanwhile, the British defense ministry said in its intelligence bulletin that Russian military leaders in several Russian regions that border Ukraine, including the annexed Crimea peninsula, canceled their Victory Day military parades that were expected to take place on May 9. Despite the cancellations of some regions, others have said they plan to continue with the parades, according to the ministry.
Officials claimed, according to the ministry, that the cancellations are mainly due to security concerns.