Ukraine has released the identity of its soldiers in a video of the execution of prisoners of war that went viral online last week, AFP news agency reported.
Earlier, a 12-second video that circulated on social media showed a Ukrainian soldier being killed by multiple shots after smoking a cigarette while unarmed in the forest, causing outrage around the world.
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When he smoked and then said "glory to Ukraine," a bullet exploded outside the video, accompanied by Russian profanity.
Ukraine and the West have accused Russian forces of committing war crimes by shooting and killing prisoners of war, but the identity of the soldiers who were shot has not been clear.
Yesterday (12th) local time, the State Security Service of Ukraine said that the soldier in question was 163-year-old Oleksandr Ikhorovich Machiyewski, a sniper from the 42rd Battalion of the Homeland Defense Brigade in the Chernihiv region of northeastern Ukraine.
The National Security Service explained that it "confirmed his identity through conversations with relatives, analysis of photographs and videos, and forensic examination."
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Recently, Machiyewski's mother confirmed to local media that the person in the video was her son, but the military reported that someone else was the person in the video, causing confusion.
State Security Director Vasil Malyuk said he was also focusing on identifying the Russian military who shot and killed Majievsky.
According to Ukrainian forces defending the northern region, Machiyewski is from Moldova, who was captured by Russian forces along with four other Ukrainian soldiers in the Donetsk region.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech that he was awarding Machiyevsky the title of "Hero of Ukraine".
President Zelensky emphasized that Machiyevsky was "a soldier and a citizen who will forever be remembered by the Ukrainian people."