Journalists identified one of the Russians who was humiliating Ukrainian war prisoners and recorded it on video.
Points of attention
- Journalists have identified Kiprin Alexei Leonidovich, a Russian soldier from St. Petersburg, as one of the individuals involved in humiliating Ukrainian prisoners of war.
- Kiprin Alexei is reportedly part of the 'Storm' assault group of the 153rd Tank Regiment of the 47th Guards Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army, as per Suspilne sources.
- The video footage shows Ukrainian POWs being mistreated, forced to sing, kicked, and even threatened with death. The incident has prompted investigations by authorities.
- The soldier, also known by the call sign 'Bars,' has been featured in interviews on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, discussing his unit's duties.
- The identified soldier's actions have sparked outrage and calls for accountability, with international bodies being urged to document the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military.
What is known about a Russian soldier who is involved in the humiliation of Ukrainian war prisoners
Journalists established that 32-year-old Kiprin Alexei Leonidovich from St. Petersburg shot the video. At home, his wife Natalia and a young son await him.
His face is best seen. It is also heard that another Russian soldier calls him "Bars".
According to Suspilny sources, he is currently in the "Storm" assault group of the 153rd Tank Regiment of the 47th Guards Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army.
There is also an interview with Alexei on the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation website, in which he is called the commander of an assault company with the call sign "Bars." The masked occupier discusses his unit's work: "Our company performs assault, defence, and engineering-fortification duties."
Alexei often publishes photos from the service on social networks, which indicate his participation in combat operations.
Journalists from the Suspilne investigative editorial office wrote to Alexei Kiprin on WhatsApp to get confirmation that he was in the video.
The man, thinking that he was corresponding with a Russian propagandist, wrote: "The anthem was sung badly. They provided zapotylychniks and transferred them to the POW camp. Usually, during the sweep, there is no time to evacuate one's own, there are prisoners here."
What has preceded it
On June 2, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets sent official letters to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN, asking them to document the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military.
In the video published on the network, you can see that four Ukrainian prisoners of war are being led in a convoy with blindfolds. Men are forced to sing the song "The Sacred War". They are kicked, causing one of the prisoners to fall. The soldier is threatened with death if he does not stand up, and then one of the occupiers shoots near his head. The video cuts out at this point.
Also, the prosecutor's office has already started proceedings on the fact of cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The law enforcement officers established that the video was shot in the Kharkiv region.
