Russian Commander Orders Beheading of Ukrainian POW, Sparking Outrage

A senior Russian army officer was recorded issuing an order to his troops to decapitate a Ukrainian prisoner of war. The order was allegedly given by the field commander of the 2nd assault company of Russia’s 155th Marine brigade. Ukrainian military intelligence intercepted the radio conversation between the commander and his troops. The intercepted audio was subsequently shared on social media by the Ukrainian intelligence agency and widely circulated. In the recording, the commander can be heard giving the explicit order.

The Ukrainian intelligence agency stated that the 155th Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces has become a favored unit of Vladimir Putin due to its inhumane treatment and barbaric killings of captured Ukrainian military personnel and civilians. The brigade is currently engaged in combat in Ukraine's northeast Sumy region. Previously, the brigade released a video depicting the decapitated head of a Ukrainian soldier impaled on a pole.

In a video clip posted on social media last August, a Russian soldier, identified as belonging to the 155th Marine Brigade, addressed the camera with his face covered. He stated that the brigade was part of the Pacific fleet. The soldier made threatening remarks, referencing the severed head and warning of similar outcomes in future encounters.

The 155th Brigade has also faced accusations of war crimes, specifically the killing of civilians in Bucha, Irpen, and Gostomel. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the 155th, inflicting significant casualties and necessitating the unit's repeated rebuilding. In January, Ukrainian paratroopers from the 82nd Separate Air Assault Bukovina brigade eliminated a unit from the 155th during an operation in the Kursk region. The paratroopers issued a statement indicating their commitment to pursuing and punishing war criminals from the 155th brigade.