Moscow condemns the US response to alleged war crimes against Russian soldiers in Ukraine

Moscow lashed out at Washington on Tuesday after its war crimes envoy argued that Russia’s atrocities far exceeded those in Kyiv, after videos emerged purportedly showing Ukrainian soldiers executing surrendering Russian troops.

“Any normal person shudder and reject these atrocities. We will never forget the horrific killing of unarmed soldiers who were forced to lie on the ground … then mercilessly shot,” the Russian Embassy in the States said United in a Telegram post.

“How can the Administration explain its cruel attitude to the death of ordinary warriors to their mothers, wives and children?” he questioned.

Russian and Chechen soldiers in a devastated neighborhood of Mariupol, Ukraine, near the Azovstal front line April 16, 2022. The battle between Russian/pro-Russian forces and defending Ukrainian forces led by the Azov battalion continues in the city port of Mariupol.
(Photo by Maximilian Clarke/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Russia has been accused of war crimes since its invasion attack, prompting the International Criminal Court and several Western nations to open thousands of investigations into serious human rights abuses, including forced deportations, abuses sexual assaults, the torture and killing of Ukrainian civilians. .

However, over the weekend questions rose about possible war crimes committed by Ukraine after videos appeared on social media purportedly showing Ukrainian soldiers killing Russian troops who had apparently surrendered.

“Obviously, we’re monitoring it pretty closely,” US Ambassador for International Criminal Justice Beth van Schaack told reporters on Monday. “It is very important to emphasize that the laws of war apply equally to all parties, both the aggressor and the defending state.

“But when it comes to the war in Ukraine, that’s really where the equivalence ends,” he continued. “When we look at the scale of criminality displayed by Russian forces, it’s enormous compared to the allegations we’ve seen against Ukrainian forces.”

Russia criticized van Schaack’s comments, calling them “cynical” and also criticized his “refusal” to condemn what the embassy described as a “massacre”.

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The bodies of unidentified men, believed to be Russian soldiers, arranged in a Z, symbol of the Russian invasion, lie near a village recently retaken by Ukrainian forces outside Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, 2 may
(AP/Felipe Dana)

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Fox News was unable to verify the authenticity of the videos, and this week Ukrainian officials said they would investigate the allegations.

Fragmented video clips were reportedly circulated on Russian social media over the weekend showing a group of Russian soldiers, wearing white and red arm and leg bands, surrendering to Ukrainian troops they were carrying yellow and blue bands.

According to footage reviewed by The Associated Press, a 36-second video showed a group of about 10 Russian soldiers, some lying on the ground, while others appeared to be unarmed exiting a building with their arms raised. Orders were then shouted and the 10 Russians joined the men on the ground.

A man who appears to be armed walked out of the outhouse before the video became too blurry to make out what was happening when the shots rang out.

Then the video was cut.

Another 8-second video showed the gunman open fire with a rifle in slow motion.

A separate 25-second video appeared to be shot by a drone and showed the men lying motionless in pools of blood.

Russia’s foreign ministry has called on the international community to condemn the shootings.

A woman walks among destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 3, 2022.
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

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Moscow accused the US of “condoning” Kyiv’s “crimes” and said: “Washington supports murderers who deserve no pardon or justification.”

The US war envoy encouraged both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers to comply with international law or “face the consequences” for violating the terms set out in the Geneva Convention.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.