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Execution of Oleksandr Matsievskyi

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Oleksandr Ihorovych Matsievskyi
Born(1980-05-10)10 May 1980
Chișinău, Moldavian SSR
Died30 December 2022(2022-12-30) (aged 42)
Service/branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
Unit119th Chernihiv Defense Brigade
Battles/warsRusso-Ukrainian War

Oleksandr Ihorovych Matsievskyi (Ukrainian: Олександр Ігорович Мацієвський, pronounced [olekˈsɑndr ˈiɦorowɪtʃ mɐts⁽ʲ⁾iˈjɛu̯sʲkɪj]; 10 May 1980 – 30 December 2022) was a Ukrainian Ground Forces member and de facto captive executed by Russian soldiers during the Battle of Bakhmut in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early March 2023.[1][2] The video of the execution circulated online around 6 March 2023, showing a soldier without weapons, smoking a cigarette, saying "Slava Ukraini" and then being shot with automatic weapons from multiple sides.[3] The 30th Mechanized Brigade initially named Tymofii Shadura as the victim and a video of the shooting was shared on social media.[4] Later reports suggested Matsievskyi as a credible alternate identification, which was subsequently confirmed by the Ukrainian government.[1]

Execution

File:Tymofiy Shadura execution.jpg
Video screenshot of Oleksandr Matsievskyi, just before his execution.

As of 6 March 2023, a graphic 12-second video[5] showing an unidentified soldier in camouflage Ukrainian uniform, unarmed, standing in a shallow trench in a winter wood, calmly puffing a cigarette.[6] As the man is heard saying "Slava Ukraini" ("Glory to Ukraine"), salvos of automatic weapons from multiple sides are heard and seen shooting the man, who collapses.[3][6][7] Voices in the Russian language are heard saying "Die, bitch".[3][7] Before the murder, he was allegedly forced to dig his own grave, in the video he is in a hole, and there is a shovel behind him.[8]

Victim

Open-source intelligence volunteers suggested more than six names for the man shot in the video.[9][10][6] The captive and victim's identity was debated mainly between Tymofii Shadura and Oleksandr Matsievskyi for few days.[6]

On 7 March, the soldier was first identified by Ukrainian officials as Tymofii Shadura [Wikidata] (also spelled as Tymofiy Shadura[11] or Timofey Shadura;[12] Ukrainian: Тимофій Миколайович Шадура, pronounced [tɪmoˈfij mɪkoˈlɑjowɪtʃ ʃɐˈdurɐ]; 7 January 1982 — after 3 February 2023). Shadura was a Ukrainian soldier, a serviceman of the 30th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,[13] and had been missing since February 3 near the village of Zaliznyanske [uk] (Soledar urban hromada, Donetsk Oblast).[13][3][9][7] BBC News Ukrainian spoke to a family member who seemed to recognize him. A woman who identified herself as the soldier's sister said that her brother could "definitely stand up to the Russians like that" and that "he never hid the truth in his life, and he definitely wouldn't hide it in front of the enemy".[14][15]

As of 10 March, Oleksandr Ihorovych Matsievskyi (Ukrainian: Олександр Ігорович Мацієвський), a 42 year old Ukrainian soldier deployed to Bakhmut in November 2022 and who also disappeared remained a credible alternative due to contextual and visual similarities.[6] Matsievskyi disappeared earlier while bearing similar bandages as the executed soldiers.[6] Matsievskyi's territorial defense forces' comrades reporting his group of four soldiers went missing on 30 December 2022, following a failed counter attack on the outskirts of Soledar.[6] Matsievskyi's body, heavily damaged by shots, was exchanged in January, returned to his village by February, and is now buried in Nizhyn, where he worked as an electrician.[6] The local mayor, Matsievskyi's family and others claim to have recognized him in the video.[6]

Despites calls to recognize Shadura or Matsievskyi posthumously as an Ukrainian hero, individuals in both Shadura and Matsievskyi's villages called for cautions and to wait for forensic investigations and official conclusions, sending empathic support to each others.[6]

Matsievskyi was subsequently identified by the Ukrainian government as the subject of the video.[16]

Reactions

Ukraine

Ukrainian officials reacted quickly, calling to identify the killers and for International Criminal Court investigations.[3][7][17][11][18][15]

On 6 March 2023, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy rapidly reacted to the execution as he released a video denouncing the crime.[9][19] Later that day, the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine registered criminal proceedings over the video.[20]

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin said that criminal proceedings have been opened over the shooting of the prisoner under article 438, part 2 of the Criminal Code — violation of the laws and customs of war,[14] adding that "[e]ven war has its own laws [...] There are rules of international law systematically ignored by the Russian criminal regime. But sooner or later, there will be punishment".[3]

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba called on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to investigate the incident. According to Kuleba, the video is more "proof that this war is genocidal".[14][7]

The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets emphasized that Ukraine's goal, as well as that of the entire democratic world, is to bring Russia to justice.[14]

The Servant of the People party announced that once all the circumstances and identifying the deceased were established, it would send an appeal to Zelenskyy to grant the soldier the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously.[14]

On 12 March 2023, Zelenskyy conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine on Matsievskyi, posting on Twitter, "A Ukrainian warrior. A man who will be known and remembered forever. For his bravery, for his confidence in Ukraine and for his 'Glory to Ukraine!'".[16][21][22][23]

Russia

Russia has not publicly condemned the execution and continues to deny any war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine.[11]

Others

The execution has been commented by journalists in other countries. The soldier's attitude and the phrase "Slava Ukraini" in the face of enemy forces has been compared to the Snake Island "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" phrase early in 2022.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "CБУ остаточно підтвердила особу Героя, розстріляного після слів "Слава Україні!"". SSU (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Guerre en Ukraine en direct : Kiev dit avoir repoussé près d'une centaine d'assauts russes sur le front de l'Est en 24 heures". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Tondo, Lorenzo; Sauer, Pjotr (7 March 2023). "Ukraine names PoW allegedly filmed being shot dead by Russian soldiers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Стало відоме ім'я розстріляного росіянами Героя України". unian.ua (in Ukrainian). UNIAN. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  5. ^ Nexta TV (6 March 2023). "[WARNING: Graphic] 12-seconds video of Ukrainian prisoner of war executed". Twitter. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Tondo, Lorenzo; Mazhulin, Artem (10 March 2023). "Ukraine PoW hero to be commemorated … when officials determine who he is". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e "'Warrior brutally killed': Zelenskyy blasts Russian 'murderers'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ Заставили копать себе могилу: в сети обратили внимание на жуткие детали с расстрелом оккупантами украинского воина
  9. ^ a b c Sauer, Pjotr (6 March 2023). "Ukraine urges ICC to investigate video appearing to show Russians killing PoW". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  10. ^ Tsurkan, Kate (7 March 2023). "Search ongoing for identity of Ukrainian POW allegedly executed by Russia". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Ukraine names unarmed, smoking soldier shot by Russians". BBC News. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  12. ^ @nexta_tv (7 March 2023). "The 30th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Konstanty Ostrogski of #Ukraine, identified the military man who was shot for the phrase "Glory to Ukraine!" The executed defender of Ukraine is Timofey Shadura. He has been listed as missing since February 3, 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ a b ""Слава Україні!": побратими з 30-ї бригади назвали ім'я розстріляного військового". pravda.com.ua. Ukrayinska Pravda. 7 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Розстріл полоненого бійця ЗСУ: що відомо про загиблого і про воєнний злочин окупантів". tsn.ua (in Ukrainian). TSN.ua. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Ukraine Vows to Identify Killers of Unarmed Soldier After Graphic Video Posted Online". www.vice.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ^ a b Tondo, Lorenzo (12 March 2023). "Zelenskiy awards Hero of Ukraine to PoW killed by Russian forces". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Top military officials vow to defend Bakhmut, Zelensky says". France 24. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Alleged execution video of unarmed Ukrainian soldier sparks outrage". euronews. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  19. ^ Nexta TV. "Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the video of the shooting of a Ukrainian prisoner of war". Twitter. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Страченим росіянами українцем є військовослужбовець Тимофій Шадура - Сухопутні війська". ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Zelenskiy honors Ukraine soldier shot after saying 'Glory to Ukraine'". Reuters. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Ukraine war: Zelensky honours unarmed soldier filmed being shot". BBC News. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Zelensky awards title Hero of Ukraine to Oleksandr Matsiyevsky posthumously. Video of soldier's execution previously spread online". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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