News
The neo-Nazi paramilitary group Rusich, which fights alongside Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine, has publicly announced a “contest” offering cryptocurrency rewards to fighters who send photographs of Ukrainian prisoners of war murdered via extrajudicial execution.
The announcement, which was published on the group’s channel on Telegram on Nov. 17, read:
“We’re announcing a contest.
The first three people to send in photos with clearly executed prisoners in the background will receive a material reward in cryptocurrency from the Rusich Sabotage and Assault Reconnaissance Group.
Send your photos anonymously, we’ll definitely publish them.”
Executing prisoners is a direct violation of the Geneva Conventions. Under the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 and Additional Protocol I of 1977, the summary execution, torture, cruel treatment, and humiliation of POWs are all strictly prohibited. Those who order such acts are also considered war criminals.
Article 25 of the Rome Statute likewise establishes criminal responsibility for anyone who “orders, solicits, or induces” the commission of such crimes.
In 2022, neo-Nazi paramilitary and Rusich commander Alexei Milchakov, known by his call sign “Fritz,” called for the torture and execution of Ukrainian prisoners. He published a so-called “manual for the disposal of Ukrainian POWs” on his Telegram channel. The post appeared shortly after the exchange of Vladimir Putin’s ally Viktor Medvedchuk for Ukrainian prisoners, including commanders of the Azov Regiment.
Milchakov gained notoriety in 2011 after posting photos of himself online with the severed head of a puppy. During the war in Donbas, he reportedly mutilated the bodies of slain Ukrainian soldiers, cutting off their ears and carving a swastika-like kolovrat symbol into their faces, later posting photos of the acts on social media. He also fought in Syria as part of the Wagner Group.