Day 269: Russia Accuses Ukraine of Executing More Than 10 POWs

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Facts

  • Russia's defense ministry on Friday accused Ukrainian forces of executing more than 10 prisoners of war after a video shared on social media documented what Russia said amounted to a 'war crime.' It's unknown who took the video, which was reportedly filmed in the eastern Luhansk region on an unknown date.1
  • 'This brutal murder of Russian servicemen is neither the first, nor the only war crime,' Russia's defense ministry said in a statement. 'This is a common practice in the Armed Forces of Ukraine that is actively supported by the Kyiv regime and blatantly ignored by its Western patrons.' Ukraine has yet to comment on the allegations.1
  • Earlier this week, after interviewing more than 100 prisoners of war, the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) accused both Russia and Ukraine of torturing and mistreating prisoners throughout the course of the eight-month war.2
  • Elsewhere, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, signaled that he's optimistic about the prospect of a US-Russia prisoner swap which would likely include US basketball player Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout — contradicting earlier statements from Moscow that the US should avoid megaphone diplomacy.3
  • Meanwhile, the UK's newly appointed PM Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv on Saturday for the first time since taking office and promised an additional £50M ($60M) in aid to Ukraine, including air defense equipment and further military training.4
  • On the ground, Russian attacks were recorded in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kupiansk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as in Luhansk and Donetsk in the last 24 hours. Ukrainian officials said two civilians were killed and three injured in Donetsk, one civilian was killed in Zaporizhzhia, and three people were injured in Kherson.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera (a), 2Al Jazeera (b), 3Guardian, 4Reuters and 5UKRINFORM.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Atlantic. Making sure Ukraine continues to be well-armed is the only way to fend off Putin and Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression. The US and NATO must not simply offer up their latest and most hi-tech weapons however; combat is about supply lines, and the West must ensure basic equipment and ammunition are kept flowing as needed.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AntiWar. Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The West has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical Ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.