Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been replete with human rights abuses on both sides.  Yesterday, Russia began its advance in to the East Ukrainian city of Mauripol.  The conflict is expected to be extremely bloody on both sides with Russians using Chechen soldiers, who are known for their human rights abuses, and Ukrainians using the far-right Azov Battalion, which is alleged to have committed war crimes in the Donbass region.

Today, the Russian military entered the Ukrainian city of Konotop and began neogotiations for surrender with city officials.  The Russian soldier who was leading the negotiation party held two grenades above his head as he walked down the streets to meet the mayor of the city, presumably to deter citizens from attacking him.  The Daily Mail Reports-

 

https://twitter.com/TpyxaNews/status/1498963290260652037

“This is the moment a Russian soldier held two grenades in the air as he walked among Ukrainians demanding that they surrender.

Footage, filmed in Konotop, shows the Russian serviceman holding what appear to be two grenades above his head as he walked through a crowd of furious Ukrainian citizens shouting ‘shame’.

Others told Moscow’s men, ‘don’t walk around showing your grenade off’, while others jostled with the soldier, seemingly oblivious to the danger of the grenades.

The soldier was in the city, on Ukraine’s south coast, to negotiate a Ukrainian surrender with residents after encircling the city.

He reportedly spoke with Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin and presented an ultimatum – surrender or fight.

Semenikhin, speaking from the city centre after the Russian soldiers had left, could be heard asking residents which option they wanted, to which the Ukrainians responded: ‘Fight, of course.”