An American-led unit in Ukraine is
allegedly involved in the execution of captured Russian soldiers, with such action directly violating the Geneva Convention.
The
New York Times (NYT) reported that the Chosen Company, which is made up of foreign fighters, is committing potential war crimes.
According to its website, the Chosen Company was formerly called the 312th Volunteer Company before its reorganization, relocation and renaming in early 2023. Currently, the Chosen Company is attached to the 59th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).
The
NYT piece detailed how U.S. troops participated in units that
performed extrajudicial murders of Russians who surrendered to the AFU. It cited German volunteer Caspar Grosse, a medic in the Chosen Company, as the source for many of the instances outlined in the piece. Grosse reportedly observed apparent war crimes committed by the company, adding that his conscience has forced him to speak up.
The medic recounted one instance last August where a wounded, unarmed Russian soldier attempted a peaceful surrender by crawling and calling out to the Ukrainian front lines. The soldier pleaded for medical attention in a mix of weak English and Russian. A team member searched for bandages, intending to aid the surrendering soldier.
But according to Grosse, a comrade of his hobbled over and fired his weapon into the Russian soldier's chest. Another comrade fired, this time shooting the injured soldier in the head. "He was so upset by the episode that he confronted his commander," the
NYT said, continuing that Grosse reached out to the Gray Lady "after what he regarded as unwarranted killings continued." (Related:
Pro-Ukraine mercenary group committed WAR CRIMES by executing Russian POWs.)
The outlet also cited a second instance backed up by footage, which involved a Chosen Company member who killed a surrendering Russian soldier whose hands were already raised by lobbing a grenade in the soldier's direction. "The Ukrainian military released video of the episode to showcase its battlefield prowess, but it edited out the surrender," it pointed out.
Chosen Company was chosen to do the dirty work
According to
Great Game India, the Chosen Company "is largely regarded as the most honorable and well-known volunteer company of international troops." But if Grosse's revelations are to be used as a basis, it appears that the company is far from honorable.
The medic also divulged that a Greek soldier known by the nom de guerre Zeus was at the center of several incidents involving the killing of Russian prisoners of war (POWs) or those in the process of surrendering. Grosse also shared an entry in his journal about one such instance detailing Zeus' involvement.
"Today, a good friend willingly executed a bound prisoner. As the prisoner was sitting in a trench with his jacket over his shoulders, Zeus came up behind him and shot him into the back of the head multiple times."
Aside from this, the
NYT also examined text messages from a group conversation involving several Chosen Company members. The soldiers "boasted in a group chat about
killing Russian prisoners of war during a mission in October. A soldier who was briefly in command that day alluded to the killings using a slang word for shooting."
"If anything comes out about alleged POW [killing], I ordered it. At The Hague, I regret nothing," said the soldier who went by the nom de guerre Andok. He added a picture of Croatian war criminal Slobodan Praljak, who committed suicide at The Hague by drinking a vial of poison following his sentence. When asked about the message, Andok said in an interview that he had been joking.
Great Game India ultimately remarked that the
NYT piece "is most likely only the top of the iceberg." It added: "How many more war crimes like these are committed in these foreign units?"
"Until today, the mainstream media appeared to disregard similar abuses by Ukrainian soldiers and instead focused solely on the invaders' misdeeds. There are probably
many more tragic, scandalous instances like this one."
Watch this clip of
Russian prisoners being treated without dignity by the AFU.
This video is from the
Countess Erzsebet Bathory channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Has NATO clandestinely sent irregulars into Ukraine? Two Britons beg PM Boris Johnson to seek Ukraine prisoner exchange after being captured by Russians.
A "death warrant": Foreign volunteers being told by Ukraine's government they won’t be allowed to leave until war with Russia is over.
WATCH: Ukrainian soldiers caught on camera appearing to commit war crimes by shooting Russian POWs in the legs.
Human rights investigators find neo-Nazi torture chamber with corpse in Ukraine.
Moscow accuses Kyiv of shooting down Il-76 aircraft filled with Ukrainian POWs.
Sources include:
GreatGameIndia.com
TheChosenCompany.org
Brighteon.com