In the Zaporizhzhia region, soldiers from the 225th Regiment were ambushed, and the bodies of the dead were desecrated

In the Huliaipole sector of the Zaporizhzhia region, soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment were ambushed by enemy forces. After the battle, Russian troops desecrated the bodies of the fallen Ukrainian defenders.

This was reported with reference to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a statement by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets.

The General Staff stated that the commander of the enemy unit gave an order to mistreat the bodies of the fallen soldiers, which constitutes a war crime.

Details of the war crime

According to the General Staff, on May 12, 2026, in the Huliaipole sector, soldiers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment were ambushed by an enemy infiltration group. Two Ukrainian defenders were killed during the battle.

According to intelligence reports, the commander of the occupying forces’ unit issued a direct order to desecrate the bodies of the fallen.

According to an intercepted message, he ordered the heads to be cut off and placed in a conspicuous location.

"Cut off two heads 'for confirmation' and place them in a prominent spot at the edge of the field," reads the order from the occupying forces' commander, as cited by the General Staff.

A subordinate of the Russian officer expressed his willingness to carry out the criminal order.

Consequences and Investigation

The command emphasizes that such actions constitute a gross violation of the rules and customs of war. The occupiers have once again demonstrated their sadistic nature by committing deliberate war crimes.

"Such actions by Russian occupiers are not isolated incidents. But behind every crime are specific names and individuals," the General Staff emphasized.

The unit whose servicemen are involved in these atrocities has already been preliminarily identified. In particular, it is known that the commander who gave the order had previously been observed engaging in similar abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine assured that the guilty parties will certainly be punished, as such crimes have no statute of limitations.

Reaction from the authorities and appeal to the ICRC

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasized that this war crime requires an immediate investigation.

He has already appealed to international organizations regarding this latest act of terror.

"I have already sent official letters to the ICRC and the UN. Such crimes must be properly documented, and those responsible must face the harshest punishment," Lubinets stated.

The Ombudsman also urged citizens to report any violations of Ukrainians’ rights or executions of military personnel to the hotline at 1678 or to law enforcement agencies.

According to him, any information is critically important for the investigation and bringing those responsible to justice.