Observers: Ukrainian Nationalists, Allied Legions Demonstrate Nazi-Style Sadism Toward Russian POWs

"I have just seen the short interview with the Georgian forces leader who clearly states that Russian soldiers will not be taken prisoner, but will be killed," says UK-based political analyst Alan Bailey. "The hatred and ideology is identical to Nazi Germany’s beliefs in the Second World War. How can anyone not understand Russia’s fears of having such people next door is beyond me."

The latest footage emerged after a series of gruesome videos depicting the Ukrainian military torturing and killing Russian prisoners of war (POWs). One of them, allegedly taken on 30 March, appears to show Russian troops lying on the ground unarmed and bleeding profusely. At least one of them has his hands bound. White armbands can be seen on their sleeves. An armoured vehicle with the letter "V" – an identifier of the Russian armed forces – is located nearby. An alleged Ukrainian fighter kills a Russian soldier, who had been gasping for air. Then the Ukrainian military mocks other Russian troops lying in pools of blood; he refers to the armoured vehicle as a new "trophy."

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"I have [also] seen the video of the captured Russian soldiers being murdered," notes Bailey. "It’s incredibly disturbing and shows to all who view it the sort of people (I use the word loosely here) Russia has been concerned about being armed, within NATO and next to Russia’s borders. The de-Nazification is not just a political action, it’s a humanitarian action. Anyone who knows of Ukraine’s history of Nazi elements, Bandera and the UPA etc will be well aware of their brutality, and we see now in plain sight that Russia’s concern at the rebirth of such beliefs in Ukraine were much more than just 'Russian propaganda'!"

In his latest interview, Mamuka Mamulashvili, leader of the Georgian National Legion, commented on the video claiming that there's nothing disturbing about Russian POWs being tied and killed. According to Mamulashvili, the Russian troops should not be referred to as "soldiers", but just "occupiers". "Yes, sometimes occupiers have their hands and feet tied," the paramilitary unit chief said. He claimed, on behalf of the Georgian Legion, that they would not take Russian or Chechen soldiers prisoners.

However, international law provides a wide range of protection for prisoners of war: POWs cannot be tortured or slaughtered; they must be treated humanely and given medical attention if needed. The rules protecting prisoners of war are specific and were first codified in the 1929 Geneva Convention. They were refined in the third 1949 Geneva Convention, as well as in the Additional Protocol I of 1977. Both Ukraine and Russia are parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Protocol I.

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"In basic terms it is quite puzzling why the videos have not been picked up more in the West," the analyst says. "I’m sure most British would be horrified, and I think here is the reason they are not circulated widely. The West has powerfully cultivated a narrative of 'Ukraine is good', 'Russia is bad' and these videos destroy that."

It's not the first time fighters serving as American proxies or mercenaries have demonstrated exceptional sadism, says US-based political analyst Don DeBar, referring to military conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. He recalled that the Mujahedeen the US fought against in the 2000s - including some al-Qaeda* operatives - were armed and trained by the US intelligence agencies and used as proxies against Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989. Decades later, the US provided training as well as lethal weapons to Ukrainian neo-Nazi battalions which were incorporated in the Ukrainian National Guard after the 2014 coup in Kiev, according to DeBar.

"It has been the objective of western capital and its state power to break apart any state power that would be an impediment to the looting of Russia's mineral wealth and skilled human labour," says DeBar. "The break-up of the Soviet Union – which was a necessary precondition to that project – was the objective from the time of the 1917 October Revolution up to and including the dissolution of the USSR on 31 December 1991. That was accomplished, in large part, by inciting every social, cultural, ethnic and other division in Soviet society, including the contradictions among nationalities - where it was possible – these were incited to a very large degree."

The Pentagon stated on 30 March that it expects that Russian POWs would be treated in accordance with international law; however, that's not what is actually happening on the ground, according to observers. Also, NATO kicked off a two-day summit on 6 April with the aim of convincing the alliance's member states to further step up supplies of lethal arms to Ukraine.

*Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.