In a Fb publish, the thirtieth Mechanized Brigade named the person as Tymofiy Shadura. It mentioned he had been lacking since Feb. 3 after hostilities across the jap metropolis of Bakhmut, scene of a number of the heaviest preventing of the warfare in Ukraine.

Formal affirmation could be made as soon as his physique was returned from territory occupied by Russian forces, mentioned the brigade, which is a part of Ukraine’s Floor Forces.

The 12-second video exhibits an apparently unarmed man in a uniform with a Ukrainian flag insignia on his arm standing and smoking a cigarette in a wooded space.

The person says “Slava Ukraini!” – or Glory to Ukraine – earlier than a number of pictures are heard coming from an unseen shooter or shooters. The person slumps to the bottom as bullets seem to hit his physique. A voice is heard saying “Die, bitch” in Russian.

President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned the video confirmed Russian occupiers killing a soldier, and the person was shortly hailed by Ukrainians as a hero throughout social media, the place many customers posted “Heroyam Slava” in response.

“In keeping with preliminary data, the deceased is a serviceman of the thirtieth separate mechanized brigade, Tymofiy Mykolayovych Shadura,” the brigade’s Fb publish mentioned.

“The command of the thirtieth separate mechanized brigade and the Hero’s brothers categorical their honest condolences to his family and pals. Revenge for our Hero can be inevitable. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!” it mentioned.

CRIMINAL CASE

The “Glory to Ukraine” phrase and the response “Heroyam Slava”, or “Glory to the Heroes”, has been a trademark of post-Soviet Ukraine, but it surely has taken on particular significance as a standard greeting in public life for the reason that begin of the warfare.

Reuters was not instantly in a position to confirm the authenticity, date or location of the video. Russia’s Defence Ministry didn’t instantly reply to a question about it.

A lawyer who was wounded in battle final yr mentioned he was amassing cash for a reward to anybody who recognized these accountable. He personally pledged $1,000.

Ukrainian authorities didn’t say the place or when the taking pictures occurred.

Inside hours, #GloryToUkraine grew to become one of many prime trending hashtags on Twitter.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s prosecutor basic, mentioned Ukraine’s safety service had registered the taking pictures as a felony case below part of the felony code that covers violations of warfare legal guidelines and customs.

Ukrainian and Western authorities say there’s proof for 1000’s of warfare crimes dedicated in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February, 2022. Russia has repeatedly denied that its forces have dedicated atrocities or attacked civilians.