The UN is “shocked” by the video of the torture of a Ukrainian military prisoner

The UN human rights monitoring mission said it was "shocked" by the latest videos showing the beating, castration and killing of a Ukrainian military prisoner by Russians.

The mission made its statement public on July 29.

One of the videos shows how a tortured serviceman is shot in the head, and his body is dragged into a ditch. If confirmed, these actions qualify as war crimes.

"Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a series of videos documenting the torture and extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war and non-combatants (hors de combat) by warring parties. [...] All parties must refrain from torture, murder and threats," the UN emphasized.

At the same time, the organization claims that this is only the latest in a series of extrajudicial executions of prisoners. It points to a video in which Ukrainian soldiers allegedly shoot Russian prisoners in the nose, as well as another one, which allegedly shows the killing of a wounded Russian soldier.

• On July 28, a video of abuse of a prisoner of war in Ukrainian camouflage appeared in one of the Russian Telegram channels. Two other Russian-speaking soldiers castrated the prisoner with a clerical knife. Human rights activists emphasize that cutting off organs is the most obvious example of torture, which is always condemned by the world community and prohibited by the Geneva Convention.