Russian commander ordered beheading of two fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Huliaipole sector – General Staff

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

The incident occurred on May 12. Intelligence intercepted a conversation in which the commander of a Russian unit issued a direct order to desecrate the bodies of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

The radio interception recorded, in particular, the Russian commander ordering that two heads be cut off "for confirmation" and placed in a visible location at the edge of a field. His subordinate expressed readiness to carry out the order.

"By desecrating the bodies of fallen servicemen, the occupiers once again demonstrated their sadistic nature and excessive demonstrative cruelty. This is a gross and deliberate violation of the laws and customs of war – a war crime that has no statute of limitations," the General Staff said.

According to the Ukrainian military, such actions by the enemy are not isolated cases, but specific individuals are responsible for each crime.

The Russian armed forces unit whose servicemen committed this atrocity has been preliminarily identified. According to available information, the criminal order was issued by a commander who had previously ordered abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

"The perpetrators will definitely be punished. Retribution is inevitable for everyone involved in this atrocity," the General Staff said.