Russian Soldiers Hide Behind Ukrainian POWs During Assaults
13 December, 2023 Russian soldiers cover themselves with Ukrainian POWs during the assault on Zaporizhzhia region. November 2023. Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Frame from the Radio Svoboda video Once again, Russian invaders are resorting to using Ukrainian prisoners of war as human shields during their assaults. Radio Svoboda has received a drone video from the Ukrainian military showing Russian soldiers leading captured Ukrainian soldiers at gunpoint toward Ukrainian positions.
The video was recorded in the Zaporizhzhia region, near Ukrainian positions close to the village of Robotyne. The video shows a group of Russian army soldiers, holding assault rifles ready for battle, walking toward Ukrainian positions. Unarmed individuals, with their hands raised, are ahead of them.
As the drone operator's camera zooms in, it can be determined that there are three unarmed men, all wearing uniforms that differ from those of the armed men, probably the uniforms of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At intervals, Russian soldiers fire their assault rifles toward Ukrainian positions.
One of the Russian soldiers took cover behind a Ukrainian POW, using one hand to hold the POW's shoulder while wielding an assault rifle with the other A few seconds later, another Russian army soldier throws an object in the direction of Ukrainian positions, presumably a grenade. A few seconds later, a battle breaks out - something explodes near the group of Russian soldiers and unarmed people, most likely a grenade.
Then the Ukrainian Defense Forces open small arms fire on the group - the Russian soldiers crouch down but continue to move forward, hiding behind Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The POW (above) is on his knees; the other prisoner of war is probably being used as a shield by a Russian soldier. November 2023. Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Frame from the Radio Svoboda video
The Russian soldiers take cover behind pits, bushes, and hills to shield themselves from the Ukrainian army's fire. Meanwhile, one of the prisoners of war is kneeling in front of them, facing the direction of the Russian soldiers' attack. A few seconds later, a Russian soldier fires his assault rifle in the direction of one of the prisoners of war, after which a group of unarmed men gather in one place in an open space.
Ukrainian prisoners of war and the Russian military. November 2023. Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Frame from the video by Radio Svoboda
They begin to run in the opposite direction from the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions, followed by Russian soldiers with their guns pointed at them. One of the POWs starts running quickly, breaking away from the group of Russian soldiers. A Russian soldier fires a shot from an assault rifle in his direction.
A few seconds later, the Russian soldier fires another shot in the direction of the unarmed men running away from the Ukrainian army positions, and the camera moves away. A few seconds later, when the drone operator zooms in again, the body of a soldier in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is already on the ground.
A Ukrainian POW lies on the ground. November 2023.
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Frame from the video by Radio Svoboda
Currently, the Ukrainian military has no information on the fate of these Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the forces of the 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces are fighting in this sector.
Not the first case
Since 2022, Russian invaders have been employing the 'human shields' tactic using Ukrainian POWs.
Last December, the Ukrainian military showed drone footage of a case when Russians captured a wounded Ukrainian soldier and put him near their positions so that Ukrainian artillery would not strike them. Petro Kuzyk, a soldier of the Legion of Freedom of the National Guard of Ukraine, reported that in the Bakhmut sector, the invaders were also leading Ukrainian prisoners of war to assault.
The Russian invaders use a seriously wounded Ukrainian soldier as a shield against Ukrainian artillery. December 2022. Bakhmut sector, Ukraine.
Frame from the video by Magyar
"Convicts, low-educated conscripts are being led in front of them.
There were even cases when the Russians hid behind our POWs to avoid destruction and fire from our side," said Petro Kuzyk.