Kremlin Promises Review of Viral Army Torture Video Alleging Abuse in Ukraine
Kremlin Responds to Allegations of Military Abuse in Ukraine
Viral Video Appeal to President Putin
MOSCOW, June 26 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday it would look into a viral video appeal to President Vladimir Putin by a military veteran accusing Russian commanders in Ukraine of torturing and murdering soldiers for not fulfilling "suicidal orders".
Kremlin's Initial Reaction
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had not yet seen the appeal, which was posted on Instagram, but that it sounded like it contained "strange wording."
Details of the Video and Its Impact
About Alexander Lunin and the Video's Reach
The post by veteran Alexander Lunin, which did not cite any evidence or name any alleged victims or perpetrators, garnered over 12 million views in 24 hours. Instagram is banned in Russia and can be accessed only by using a virtual private network.
Lunin's Background and Motives
Before his video appeal, most Russians had not heard of Lunin, who lives in Russia's Voronezh region. It was not clear if Lunin was speaking on his own initiative for himself or whether - as he suggested - he represented wider forces.
Allegations Made in the Video
In the video, Lunin alleged that thousands of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine were being held in pits for refusing to carry out "stupid or suicidal orders" or for refusing to hand over money to their commanders.
He alleged that such soldiers were being tortured before being murdered and their commanders were then covering up what had happened by saying they were missing in action.
Lunin's Demands and Threats
Lunin recorded his video wearing combat fatigues and lots of medals. He said that if he did not get a personal audience with Putin on live TV soon, the army would turn their guns on the Kremlin.
Kremlin's Official Statement
Peskov's Comments to Reporters
Asked about Lunin's video appeal by reporters on a conference call, Peskov said: "You know, we were indeed told that such an appeal exists, but we haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, so I wouldn’t want to comment on it."
"But judging by what you’ve said, it contains some rather strange wording, so we need to look at it first," he said.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
