The war is becoming more and more brutal – again a video is circulating on the net, in which a Wagner mercenary cruelly executes a Ukrainian soldier. Image: AP / LIBKOS
Analyse
Trigger warning: The following text describes acts of violence that can be stressful and re-traumatizing.
These are images that are hard to bear: A man in uniform is lying on the floor. A person in combat fatigues and a masked face bends over him. With a knife he decapitates the man who is still alive. The perpetrator has a white marking on his clothing, which is typical for Russian soldiers. The victim is wearing a uniform depicting the Ukrainian trident and a skull and crossbones.
This video, which is believed to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russians, is currently circulating on social media. A former Russian Wagner mercenary is said to have identified a former comrade as the perpetrator in the video.
The authenticity of the recordings has not yet been independently confirmed. It is also unclear where and when the approximately one and a half minute video was created. However, one thing is clear: It is not the first sadistic incident.
Again and again Russian soldiers – including the brutal Wagner mercenaries – horrify with atrocities and war crimes against Ukrainians: inside. What drives this People to such crimes? “War is a world of its own,” says military psychologist Hubert Annen in an interview with watson.
War is a world of its own, says military psychologist Hubert Annen. Killing becomes normal. Image: AP / Libkos
Once a soldier breaks kill inhibition, going back is difficult. “You get used to killing,” he explains. The lecturer from the Military Academy at ETH Zurich sees two reasons for the bestial crimes – such as decapitation with a bare knife.
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On the one hand, the expert assumes that such acts are really encouraged within the group. According to the motto: I want to be even more brutal than my comrades. It is hoped that this will lead to more respect and prestige within the group dynamic. “In everyday life, such cruel acts are sanctioned, but often not in war. On the contrary, they are even rewarded in this way,” says Annen. In other words, they trigger a “sense of reward” in the perpetrators.
In addition, the inhibition threshold is low, especially in the Russian army, says the expert. Because: According to him, the brutality begins during military training.
Violence begins in the Russian barracks
According to Annen, Russian recruits come into contact with acts of violence during their training. “They are often mistreated by their older comrades. This sometimes leads to suicides,” says the military psychologist. He illustrates the problem with an example.
Is said:
“One example is the documented case of a Russian recruit who was forced to remain in a crouching position for hours – so long that both his legs, genitals and part of his right hand had to be amputated.”
The willingness to use violence is said to be high even among the Russian recruits. Bild: imago/SNA / Pavel Lvov
If the readiness to use violence among soldiers is already high during training, one can imagine how this would then escalate in war, says the expert. Because the basic mood in the war is: Everything is allowed here. According to Annen, many Russian fighters do not see themselves as bound by international law of war – and by that he also means the commanders.
The horrible deeds of the Russian soldiers are apparently tolerated. And if the boss doesn’t say anything, then it must be okay. But here Annen sees a second reason for the shocking recordings: propaganda purposes.
Beheadings and shootings: The symbolic power is great
Just a few months ago, a video was circulating on Russian Telegram channels showing the shooting of the Ukrainian prisoner of war Oleksandr Matsievskyi by Russian soldiers. The man stands in a ditch and says “Glory to Ukraine” before he falls to the ground and remains motionless after being shot several times. Then a man says “die, asshole” in Russian. “These are pictures with an extremely high symbolic power,” says Annen.
On the one hand, the killed soldier was celebrated like a hero online, on the other hand, Russian users celebrated the act. The beheading video also splits the mind: the reactions range from shock to joy. Under the video, one person comments that the recordings make them really happy.
According to Annen, the Russians want to send a signal with such brutal videos: look, we are capable of anything. You better surrender! This is part of the psychological warfare you want to use to get the enemy to give up. But that doesn’t always seem to work. The expert says:
“If a party in the war still has realistic prospects of success, then such cruel actions by the enemy cannot have a deterrent effect, but rather a motivating effect.”
The theme of “vengeance” also plays a major role here. “When a comrade dies at the hands of the enemy, soldiers are often led or tempted by their thoughts of revenge,” says Annen. Consequently, it cannot be ruled out that Ukrainian soldiers will also commit “ugly actions” to avenge their comrades.
Annen emphasizes again that war is a world of its own: sleep deprivation, cold and wet, little food, constant alertness and fear of death. “Unfortunately, the concept of morality sinks quickly,” says the military psychologist. In other words, one does not always use moral values as the top or most important basis for decision-making.
Especially in winter, the cold and wet make things difficult for the soldiers. Image: AP / LIBKOS
Moscow and Kiev repeatedly accuse each other of killing prisoners of war. In March, the UN had both Russia as well as the Ukraine accused of arbitrarily executing prisoners of war without trial since the start of Russia’s war of aggression in February 2022.
The United Nations is investigating Russia for war crimes
Many users on the Internet rate the brutal beheading of the allegedly Ukrainian soldier as a war crime. The UN mission to monitor human rights in Ukraine also called the pictures “horrific”.
“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case,” the mission explains, referring to another video showing “the mutilated corpses of apparently Ukrainian prisoners of war.” The UN mission is now demanding investigations in order to bring those responsible to account.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also calling for Russia to be punished, while the Kremlin in Moscow has expressed doubts about the authenticity of the video. “We live in a world of fakes,” says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. On Twitter Selenskyj makes it clear: “Everyone has to react. Every leader.” Ukrainians will not be forgotten and the defeat of the Russian Terror be necessary.
“Ukraine is going through a storm of emotions right now,” Zelenskyy, who joined the video, said at a roundtable on Ukraine during the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The Russian army is trying to increase this level Violence and atrocities become routine throughout Ukraine and be proud of it. “The length Story of Russian impunity must finally end,” he demands.
According to Annen, the beheading video for Ukraine underscores once again that the Russians are “barbarians” who must be fought. The Ukrainians would hardly be intimidated. “They follow the motto: Now more than ever!”, says the expert.
(with material from dpa/afp)
