'A true hero': Ukrainian POW executed on camera was a sniper who went missing in December

The identity of the Ukrainian soldier who was shot on camera after shouting "Glory to Ukraine!" has been officially confirmed by Ukrainian intelligence officials. The video of the prisoner of war invited widespread outrage after he was seen being executed in the video footage. Kyiv had earlier opened a criminal investigation into Russia's "brutal and brazen shooting of an unarmed person". The 12-second video was widely circulated on social media and showed an apparently unarmed man in a uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm.

People wanted to know whothe man was that the Russians allegedly shot in the video. Now the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said that the prisoner of war in the video was Oleksandr Ihorovych Matsiyevsky, a sniper with the 163rd Battalion of the 119th Separate Tank Brigade of the Chernihiv Region. Matsiyevsky's family and his commander had earlier recognised him in the video.

Officials talked to the sniper's family and comrades-in-arms and processed photo and video materials before concluding the Ukrainian prisoner of war's identity. SBU praised the sniper as a "true hero" who "demonstrated to the whole world what Ukrainian character and invincibility are".

"It is these defenders who are defending our land today, which means that the enemy will definitely be defeated. Because Ukraine's Great Victory is made up of the heroic deeds of people like Oleksandr Matsiyevsky. Glory to the hero! Glory to the heroes! Glory to Ukraine!," said SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk in a statement on their website.

Also Read |'Glory to Ukraine!' Last words by Ukrainian soldier shot by Russians

The video showing Ukrainian sniper's killing

In the video, Oleksandr Matsiyevsky can be seen smoking a cigarette in a wooded area. He can then be heard saying "Slava Ukraini!" - or Glory to Ukraine. Soon, multiple shots can be heard fired by a shooter or shooters who are not visible in the video. The man slumps to the ground, with another saying "Die, bitch" in Russian.

About Oleksandr Matsiyevsk

After being called for military service in March 2022, Matsiyevsky had been reported missing since the end of December from near the village of Krasna Hora in the eastern Donetsk region. He was shot dead on December 30 and his body was returned home in February.

A criminal investigation is currently underway to identify the Russian military personnel involved in the execution. The killing is being investigated under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war). President Volodymyr Zelensky had condemned the sniper's on-camera slaying as a war crime.

(With inputs from agencies)

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