Russia calls for execution of Azov regiment members, says 'they are not real soldiers'

The Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom has called for the execution of Azov fighters. The Russian Embassy shared a video on their official Twitter handle which showed a man and woman claiming to be from Mariupol. The married couple accused Azov fighters of blocking the humanitarian corridor in Mariupol and described various incidents that took place in Mariupol. The man in the clip called for the execution of Azov fighters "not by firing but by hanging."

Taking to their Twitter handle, the Russian Embassy in Britain said that the "Azov militants deserve execution." The Embassy claimed that the Azov fighters are not real soldiers and deserve a "humiliating death by hanging." Twitter has noted that the tweet had violated its rules of hateful conduct but did not remove it. It said, "Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."The tweet from the Russian Embassy came at a time when Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for attacking Ukrainian prisoners of war. Both the nations accused each other of targeting a prison in the separatist region of Ukraine.

Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces used US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system at the detention facility near Olenivka, TASS reported.Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov has said that most of the 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war (PoW) in Yelenovka were killed or wounded in the Ukrainian strike. He accused Ukraine of "deliberately" launching missile strikes using a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system at the detention facility. According to Konashenkov, 50 Ukrainians have been killed in the missile strike carried out by Ukraine's troops, as per the TASS report. Igor Konashenkov claimed that 73 Ukraine's prisoners of war have been undergoing treatment in the hospital after suffering major injuries. 

Ukrainian Presiden's adviser accuses Russia of targeting Ukrainian POWs 

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has rejected the allegations of Russian forces and denied involvement in attacking Ukraine's prisoners of war in Olenivka. Ukraine's armed forces accused Russia of targeting the prison to cover up their actions. Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser, called it a "deliberate, calculated and cynical" attack carried out by Russian forces for the "mass murder" of Ukrainian troops. He accused Russian forces of targeting the forces to blame the strike on Kyiv's troops and called for an investigation. 

Podolyak claimed that Russian forces had moved a part of the Ukrainian defenders to the barrack a few days back and shelling from the Russian side was recorded. According to him, Russian forces attacked to discredit Ukraine in front of its partners and disrupt the supply of military equipment. According to AP, more than 2400 soldiers from the Azov regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units laid down their weapons and surrendered in front of the Russian army. A number of Ukrainian troops have been taken to prisons in Russian-controlled regions while some of them have been able to return as part of a prisoner swap with Russia. 

Image: AP/Representative