Audio Reveals Russian Army Commander Orders Soldiers To Shoot Civilians: 'Kill Everyone!'

Here's What Military Assistance Has The U.S. Sent Ukraine So Far

KEY POINTS

Anton Struev commanded Russia's 15th Peacekeeping Brigade
Struev was charged with cruelty to the civilian population
Struev is also accused of capturing and torturing unarmed Ukrainian civilians

An audio recording released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on Wednesday captured a Russian army commander ordering his troops to shoot and kill civilians on sight.

The order was given by Russian commander Anton Struev in the early hours of March 22, during the occupation of the capital city of Kyiv. Struev commanded the 15th "Peacekeeping" Brigade's Motor Rifle Company of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation before he was captured by the Ukrainian army.

"Kill everyone there, f**k! If there are civilians – throw them all, bitch, under the bus!" Struev said in a recording of an intercepted phone call released by the SSU.

The Security Service noted that Struev's subordinate shot a local resident who happened to be near their position in the Brovary district. The resident was shot in the back but survived the incident despite being left to die. The victim is expected to testify against Struev in an international court.

Struev was charged with cruelty to the civilian population in May on suspicion of his cruel treatment of Ukrainian civilians. He was also accused of giving subordinates orders to inflict cruel treatment on the civilian population as well as personally capturing unarmed civilians and brutally interrogating them through torture.

Struev is one of the several Russian military personnel awaiting trial in Ukraine. On Monday, a Ukrainian court in northeast Chernihiv sentenced Russian soldier Mikhail Kulikov to 10 years in jail for violating the laws of war when he fired a tank at a residential building on Feb. 26, two days after the start of the invasion.

Kulikov, who pleaded guilty at the trial, sought a more lenient punishment. He argued that he had only been following orders when he targeted the apartment block. The attack destroyed the building, but there were no casualties reported.

In late May, a Ukrainian court sentenced Russian Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin to life in prison for killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the Chupakhiva village in Sumy Oblast on Feb. 28. The Kyiv Court of Appeals later reduced his life sentence to 15 years in prison.