The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has called on both warring factions to investigate allegations of ill-treatment of prisoners of war.

The head of the mission's office there, Matilda Bogner, who was stationed in Kyiv until recently, said: "We have seen videos from both sides, from Ukrainian prisoners on the Russian side and from Russian prisoners on the Ukrainian side."

Gerhard Gnauck

Political correspondent for Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania based in Warsaw.

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The most recent reason for her statements was a video circulating on social media that is said to show Russian prisoners of war.

The men were lying on the ground and some had head wounds or bloodstains on their uniforms.

Standing between them are men whose faces cannot be seen who are interrogating them, allegedly Ukrainian soldiers.

Towards the end of the shot, three captured men are led out of a van and each is shot in the leg by guards.

"Video raises serious concern"

The captives are said to be soldiers from a Russian reconnaissance unit captured near the embattled city of Kharkiv.

Bogner said on Monday that the authenticity of all available recordings is currently being checked.

The present video gives "reason for serious concern".

In such cases, the authorities on both sides would have to “carry out a full investigation of the allegations”.

An adviser in the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksiy Arestovych, expressed concern about the video.

“We are a European army and we do not taunt our prisoners.

If this (video) turns out to be genuine, that is absolutely unacceptable behavior.” He reminded all military and civilian defense attorneys “that the mistreatment of prisoners is a war crime that is not covered by any amnesty even under martial law.”

The army leadership of Ukraine quickly described the video as a staging.

Zelenskyi adviser Ihor Zhovkva later commented that the video "turned out to be a fake".

"Ukraine, unlike Russia, is a civilized country and we will treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international law." The Russian military, on the other hand, "treats Ukrainian civilians horribly."

A spokesman for the Ukrainian army said the circumstances surrounding the making of the film were unclear.

"So far, no one can confirm or refute the authenticity, the location and the people involved are unknown." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said about the video that those responsible for these "monstrous images" must be identified and held accountable.

Meanwhile, the human rights organization Amnesty International has denounced Russia's "war crimes".

"What is happening in Ukraine is a repeat of what we saw in Syria," Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said at the launch of the organization's annual report on Monday.

Russia is "targeting" civilian facilities and turning escape routes into "death traps."

Callamard criticized the "shameful inaction" of international institutions such as the UN Security Council.

This should better be called the “Insecurity Council”.

According to her, there can be no “neutrality” in dealings with Russia.

Amnesty's director for Eastern Europe, Marie Struthers, said her investigators had documented "the same tactics used in Syria and Chechnya" during an on-site visit to Ukraine.

Russia also uses weapons that are banned under international law.

Callamard compared the besieged city of Mariupol to the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Amnesty observed a "multiplication of war crimes" in Ukraine.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova reported that 3,236 crimes have been registered so far in connection with Russia's war of aggression, including 3,138 war crimes.

In addition to Ukraine, nine other European countries have started investigations into Russian war crimes, including Germany, Poland and France.