Staring death in the face… The execution of a Ukrainian prisoner is making the rounds on social media. The Ukrainian is seen defying the Russians by staring straight into the camera, calmly smoking a cigarette, and after his last puff shouting “Glory to Ukraine”. Then the Russians gas him, and a voice is heard saying in Russian, “Bloaf, dog.”

The Ukrainian prisoner has already become an icon in Ukraine, with artistic depictions of him also depicting him as a haloed martyr, while contrasting his treatment with that of Russian prisoners by Ukrainian forces.

Caution! Hard images in the video

The prisoner, according to the Ukrainian army, was Timofii Sandura, whose fate has been unknown since February 3. According to a Facebook post by the 30th Motorized Brigade, the victim was last seen near the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where bloody fighting has been raging for the past few months. “At this moment the body of our soldier is in the temporarily occupied territories,” the statement said.

Formal confirmation will be made when his body is returned from the occupied territories, the brigade, which is part of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, said in a statement.

“We will find the killers” pledged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, requesting the investigation of the case by the International Criminal Court.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba commented on Twitter that the video of the execution of the unarmed prisoner was “further proof that this is for an act of genocide” and called for an “immediate investigation” by the International Criminal Court.

In the morning, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, announced via Telegram that a criminal investigation has already begun.

His sister Santoura told the BBC: “My brother would certainly be able to stand up to the Russians like that. He never hid the truth in his life, and he certainly wouldn’t do it in front of the enemy.”

Western media were unable to confirm the authenticity, date or location the video was taken.