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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “find the murderers” of an unarmed prisoner of war as Kyiv launched a criminal investigation into the alleged Russian shooting.
A 12-second video, , shows a uniformed man, identified by the Ukrainian military as missing soldier Tymofiy Shadura, saying: “Slava Ukraini!” – or Glory to Ukraine – before multiple shots are fired.
The man falls to the ground as he appears to have been gunned down, while a voice is heard saying “Die, b***h” in Russian.
Reacting to the footage in his video address, Mr Zelensky said: “I want us all in unity to respond to his words, ‘Glory to the hero. Glory to the heroes. Glory to Ukraine.’ And we will find the murderers.”
Elsewhere, a senior Chinese official has blamed an “invisible hand” for stoking the war between Ukraine and Russia – but fell short of offering any names.
Asked about Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang‘s comments this morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the “hand” belonged to the United States.
Ukraine vows to find killers of unarmed prisoner of war
Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation to find the killers of an unarmed prisoner of war, after footage of the shooting emerged online.
President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to “find the murderers” after a video showing an apparently unarmed man being gunned down by unseen shooters was circulated on social media.
The 12-second video seen by The Independent shows the unidentified man in uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing and smoking a cigarette in a wooded area.
Kate Plummer has more:
A video shows an unidentified man in uniform being gunned down after showing support for Ukraine
Russia says 90 prisoners of war returned from Ukraine
The Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday that 90 Russian prisoners of war have been returned from Ukraine after talks, RIA news agency reported.
Thousands of people in Ukraine have complex war-related injuries – WHO
Thousands of people in Ukraine have sustained complex injuries linked to the war and need rehabilitation services and equipment to help them, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official has said.
Attacks on healthcare facilities, fewer healthcare workers due to displacement and power shortages were all making it difficult for people to get care, Dr. Satish Mishra from the WHO’s regional office for Europe, told a media briefing.
Even before the war, in 2019, about half the population in Ukraine could have benefited from rehabilitation services for non-communicable conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, Dr Cathal Morgan, another WHO official said.
Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war have significantly increased the need for rehab services, he added. “Hence the need for urgency.”
In pictures: Russian T-90 battle tank fire in Donetsk
Lithuania calls for permanent presence of German troops
Lithuania’s defence minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Tuesday he wants a permanent presence of a German military brigade on Lithuanian soil in order to help ensure the Baltic country’s security.
Ukrainian tennis star refuses handshake after beating Russian opponent
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of her Russian opponent, Varvara Gracheva, after securing her first WTA title in Texas.
Kostyuk secured her first senior tournament win at the ATX Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Gracheva.
The 20-year-old has been a vocal critic of Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to continue to play on the WTA Tour, and spoken previously of her disapproval of players who refuse to condemn the invasion of her country by Moscow.
Harry Latham-Coyle reports:
Kostyuk has been critical of Russian players who have not condemned the invasion of Ukraine
Decision on permanent troop deployment to Lithuania ‘up to Nato’, Germany says
A decision on a permanent deployment of a German brigade to Lithuania will be “up to Nato”, German defence minister Boris Pistorius has said.
“This not down to who wants what – or who wants to provide what – but rather up to Nato,” Pistorius told reporters as he visited drills of hundreds of German troops at Pabrade training ground in Lithuania.
Since 2017, Germany has led an international battalion with some 1,500 troops in Lithuania as part of a Nato effort to deter Russia from attacking the Baltic region, seen as one of the weakest spots in the alliance’s eastern flank.
Berlin also has a brigade of some 3,000 to 5,000 troops on standby in Germany with the ability to deploy to Lithuania within 10 days if needed.
But the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been calling for bigger and permanent Nato deployments to defend their territories since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Poland says it will send 10 more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine this week
A further 10 Leopard 2 tanks from Poland will be sent to Ukraine this week, the Polish defence minister said on Tuesday.
“Four (tanks) are already in Ukraine, another 10 will go to Ukraine this week,” Mariusz Blaszczak told a news conference. Poland had promised to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks in total.
Belarus won’t be ‘dragged into conflict’, says Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed Putin to use Belarus as a launchpad to invade Ukraine last February, repeated his position that Belarus would not be “dragged into” the conflict.
“If you think that by throwing down this challenge, you will drag us into a war tomorrow, which is already raging across over Europe today, you are mistaken,” Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying in comments directed at Kyiv and Washington.
He has previously said Belarus would only enter the war directly if its territory came under attack from Ukraine.
Capture of Bakhmut will allow further offensives in Ukraine, Russia warns
Russia’s seizure of Bakhmut would allow Vladimir Putin’s forces to mount further offensive operations, Moscow has warned.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that despite the ramping of Western arms deliveries to Kyiv, Russia’s advance on the embattled eastern city would not change course.
Moscow’s forces have been waging an intense campaign for months to seize control of the small city in what would become their first significant territorial advance since last summer.
“The liberation of Artemovsk continues,” Shoigu told broadcasters, using the old Soviet-era name for Bakhmut.
“The city is an important hub for defending Ukrainian troops in the Donbas. Taking it under control will allow further offensive actions to be conducted deep into Ukraine‘s defensive lines,” Shoigu said.
