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The Ukrainian Armed Forces have identified the military man who was shown being shot in a viral video on Telegram channels. The man has been preliminarily identified as Tymofii Shadura, a member of the 30th Prince Konstanty Ostrogski Mechanized Brigade. Shadura had been missing since February 3, 2023. The Insider quotes the AFU report in full:
“Important Announcement! A video circulating on social media and news outlets shows a soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces being shot by Russian occupants after saying 'Glory to Ukraine!' Preliminary data suggests that the deceased soldier is Tymofii Mykolayevich Shadura, a member of the 30th separate mechanized brigade who had been missing since February 3, 2023, after fighting near Bakhmut. The soldier's body is currently in the temporarily occupied territory, and final confirmation of the identity will be established after the return of the body and appropriate examinations. The command of the 30th separate mechanized brigade and the soldier's fellow comrades offer their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends. They vow to seek revenge. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”
Journalist Yuri Butusov has revealed a different identity of the soldier shot at point-blank range – Oleksandr Ihorevich Matsiievskyi. According to Butusov, Matsiievskyi had joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a volunteer after the Russian invasion began and served as a sniper. He belonged to the 163rd Battalion of the Territorial Defense in the city of Nizhyn, 119th Brigade of TD forces, and was captured near Soledar in February. Born in Chisinau, Matsiievskyi moved to Nizhyn in 2008 to live with his mother. Butusov further stated that Matsiievskyi's body was returned home in February with no information about the circumstances of his death at the time. The results of the forensic examination matched the wounds seen in the video, and Matsiyevsky was buried on February 14.
A video purportedly depicting the shooting of a Ukrainian prisoner of war by Russian soldiers was shared on Telegram channels on March 6. In particular, the video was posted on Trukha, a Telegram channel with over 2 million subscribers.
In the video an unarmed man stands at a dug trench («lying-down trench») and smokes. A voice outside the frame says, «shoot him». The man utters: «Glory to Ukraine,» and then he is shot with automatic weapons.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, has already commented on the footage, calling the video “another example of Russia's national insignificance and weakness.” “There will be retribution for every such war crime. No one will be able to hide from it,” the official added
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has pledged to find those responsible for the killing of the serviceman: “The phrase 'Glory to Ukraine!' will always resonate in Ukraine, and millions would continue to respond with 'Glory to the Heroes!' Ukraine will always remember the bravery of each individual who had sacrificed their life for the freedom of the nation.”