Russian Commander Orders Beheading of Fallen Ukrainian Soldiers, Ukraine Reports

Russian military personnel have committed a reported war crime in the Huliaipole sector during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Members of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment were ambushed by a Russian group that had infiltrated the area on May 12. Two Ukrainian defenders were killed during the engagement. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that intelligence intercepted a radio conversation involving a Russian commander.

In the recording, the commander gave a direct order to desecrate the bodies of the fallen soldiers. The order specifically instructed subordinates to cut off two heads "for confirmation" and display them near the edge of the field. The subordinate in the recording confirmed his readiness to carry out the instruction.

The General Staff stated that "By desecrating the bodies of fallen military personnel, the occupiers have once again demonstrated their sadistic nature and excessive, performative cruelty. This is a gross, deliberate violation of the rules and customs of war—a war crime that has no statute of limitations."

Ukrainian military officials noted that such actions are not isolated incidents and emphasized that specific individuals are responsible for these acts. The Russian unit involved has been preliminarily identified. Information suggests the commander who gave the order has previously instructed his troops to abuse Ukrainian prisoners of war.

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The General Staff concluded by stating that "The perpetrators will definitely be punished. Retribution is inevitable for everyone who participated in this atrocity."

On April 12, 2026, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported that Russian forces had executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen near the settlement of Veterynarne in the Kharkiv region. The incident occurred on April 11 after Russian troops stormed positions held by a mechanized brigade of the 14th Army Corps.

Investigators established that the four soldiers were taken prisoner and subsequently shot with automatic weapons while they were unarmed. The Prosecutor General’s Office opened a pre-trial investigation into the event, classifying it as a grave violation of the Geneva Convention and a war crime.

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