KYIV, Ukraine, April 13, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr
Zelensky on Wednesday denounced Russian "beasts" after a video appeared to
show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner, prompting international outrage.

The emergence of the disturbing footage, which AFP was unable to
independently verify, sparked fury in Ukraine, with Kyiv saying Russia is
"worse than ISIS" -- an acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group.

The European Union pledged to hold war criminals to account, while a UN
mission in Ukraine said it was "appalled".

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine also pointed to another
video spreading online, saying it "shows mutilated bodies of apparent
Ukrainian POWs".

It was not clear when or where the video was filmed. Ukrainian authorities
said they were trying to identify the beheading victim.

Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of killing prisoners of
war since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to invade Ukraine more
than a year ago.

A number of videos alleging to show POW killings have made the rounds on the
internet over the past year.

Following the emergence of a new video, Zelensky said in an address posted to
social media that "the world must see" what he called an "execution" of a
Ukrainian captive.

"There is something that no one in the world can ignore: how easily these
beasts kill," the grim-faced Ukrainian leader said.

"We won't forget anything, nor will we forgive murderers."

- 'Act now!' -

The video, which lasts one minute 40 seconds, shows a masked man in
camouflage decapitating another man in uniform.

After the screams stop, other voices are heard encouraging the attacker in
Russian.

After the man is decapitated, a voice is heard saying that the head should be
sent "to the commander".

The victim's vest bearing the Ukrainian trident and a skull can also be seen
in the footage.

Zelensky urged world leaders to act and help Ukraine defeat Russia as Kyiv
forces prepare a counter-offensive after a months-long stalemate on the
battlefield.

"We need to act now!" the Ukrainian president said.

He echoed that message in virtual remarks Wednesday to an International
Monetary Fund (IMF) roundtable in Washington, where the global lender is
holding its spring meetings.

"By rebuilding what has been ruined, we defeat the goal of terror, we return
the normal life," he said in English, reiterating a call for Russian assets
to be put towards Ukraine's reconstruction.

The roundtable was held after the World Bank earlier in the day announced a
$200 million grant to aid Ukraine in rebuilding its energy infrastructure,
which has been badly damaged by Russian attacks.

Ukraine's SBU security service said Wednesday it had opened a probe into the
video, while the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was
"appalled."

"One of the videos shows a brutal execution of a man who appears to be a
Ukrainian prisoner of war, while the other one shows mutilated bodies of
apparent Ukrainian POWs."

- 'Inhumane aggression' -

The EU said that, if confirmed, the footage was "yet another brutal reminder
about the inhumane nature of the Russian aggression".

"The EU reiterates its firm commitment to holding to account all perpetrators
and accomplices of war crimes committed in connection with Russia's war," EU
spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said. Brussels did not have information on the
veracity of the video, she added.

European Council president Charles Michel tweeted that he was "mortified by
atrocious video" while France condemned "a barbaric act" and "an unbearable
attack on human dignity".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "First of all, the
authenticity of this horrible footage needs to be verified. We live in a
world of fakes."

Top Ukrainian officials renewed calls to remove Russia from the UN Security
Council where it is a permanent member.

"It's absurd that Russia, which is worse than ISIS, is presiding over the
UNSC," wrote Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Russia holds the rotating Security Council presidency for the month of April.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to Zelensky, warned against "any
attempts to find a compromise with the terrorists".

Russia had to be isolated from "the rest of the world", he said.