Video Shows Russian Soldiers Using Captured Ukrainians as Shields

A U.S. government-funded media organization on Wednesday reported it had received video that allegedly shows Russian soldiers using captured members of Ukraine's military as shields.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) obtained the video from Ukraine's armed forces, and it shared details of the footage in Radio Svoboda, its Russian news service. RFE/RL also reported that it had asked lawyers and members of the military to analyze the video, and the professionals stated they believe it provides evidence that Russia's army had committed a war crime against Ukrainian troops.

Newsweek could not independently verify the video, and the Russian Ministry of Defense was contacted via email on Wednesday night for comment.

The video was reportedly filmed near the village of Robotyne in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A date was not provided of when the footage was filmed, but Robotyne has been the site of frequent fighting during the war Russian President Vladimir Putin launched in February 2022. In late August, Kyiv announced it had liberated the settlement, which is said to be an important strategic location, from Putin's forces.

RFE/RL posted a condensed version of the video on its YouTube channel. In the shortened version, a person identified as an armed Russian soldier is seen standing behind a person said to be a Ukrainian serviceman. The Russian appears to be leading the other man ahead of him so that he may be physically hiding. Other Russian soldiers follow behind them.

The sound of Russian machine guns is described being heard by RFE/RL as the Russian troop leads the Ukrainian man down a path. Soon, the Russian serviceman throws what appears to be a grenade in the direction of a Ukrainian position. There is an explosion, and Ukrainian troops can be seen running.

The Ukrainian military members who provided RFE/RL with the video told the outlet that Russia was using the shield tactic as "battle reconnaissance" in order to detect firing positions from Ukraine's forces.

RFE/RL said the Ukrainian military had no information regarding the condition of the Ukrainian troops seen in the video.

When shown a version of the video by a RFE/RL journalist, Dmytro Lubinets, who serves as the commissioner of human rights in Ukraine's parliament, said if the events depicted in the clip are accurate, then it would be a violation of the Geneva Convention by Russia.

"It is strictly forbidden to use prisoners of war to participate in hostilities," Lubinets said. "That is, after being granted official status, a prisoner of war must stay in a specially created camp for prisoners of war far from hostilities and wait for the exchange procedure."

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