While Putin denies war crimes in Ukraine, a Russian soldier confesses to executing a civilian
CBC
WARNING: This story contains graphic details some readers may find disturbing.
Despite blanket denials of war crimes from the Kremlin, a Russian soldier has revealed details of looting, torture and killing that took place in the Kyiv suburb of Andriivka back in March.
The soldier's confession came in an interview with iStories, an organization of independent Russian journalists who have left their country for their own safety. The interview is part of a documentary investigation of alleged war crimes by The Fifth Estate in collaboration with iStories and the Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
Russian soldiers were tracked down after they left photos of themselves on cellphones they stole from Andriivka residents, some of whom they killed. Survivors in the town later recovered the phones and the photos.
When invading Russian soldiers arrived in the Kyiv suburb of Andriivka in the early hours of the February invasion of Ukraine, the first things they wanted from residents were cellphones. They didn't like being photographed with cellphone cameras.
"People were filming a lot," said resident Anatoly Boyko, "and that was the first thing the Russians were looking for. If you walk with a phone, you could be tortured and then executed. They look through your Facebook because it can incriminate you, and then they know more about you."
WATCH | What invading Russian soldiers did first after they arrived:
As word spread, residents quickly erased videos and social media links. Boyko managed to survive, but several other Andriivka residents weren't so lucky. The mayor, Anatoly Kibukevych, lost three of his relatives.
"All my three cousins were executed on the same day. Vitalik, Vadym Hanuk and Ruslan Yaremchuk, all hands behind their backs. I don't know why, maybe there was something in their cellphones, maybe they took pictures of their tanks, I don't know."
Yaremchuk's body was found next to his house with several bullet-riddled cellphones strewn around it.
Russian soldier Daniil Frolkin of the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade eventually confessed in an interview with iStories to the execution of a civilian in Andriivka.
It turns out his victim was Ruslan Yaremchuk, a father of three young girls.
Frolkin said he marched Yaremchuk through the town to the front yard of his house. "I told him: 'Go forward.' He went forward. I told him: 'On your knees.' And I just put a bullet in his brain."
Frolkin said he was ordered to shoot civilians by his commanding officer.
