AFU confirms Oleksandr Matsiievskyi was Ukrainian POW executed after saying “Glory to Ukraine!”
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have confirmed the identity of the Ukrainian soldier who was executed in a video that appeared online on March 6. Oleksandr Matsiievskyi – a soldier of the 163rd battalion of the 119th Territorial Defence Brigade of Chernihiv Oblast – was the prisoner-of-war (POW) in the video, according to an official statement from the Ukrainian army.
A report by the Directorate of the AFU's Northern Defence Force said that on December 30, 2022, Matsiievskyi, together with his comrades-in-arms, fought the Russian army near Soledar. Nothing was known about the group’s fate after that date, and contact with Matsiievskyi was lost. It is also unknown how he was taken prisoner.
Matsiievskyi was recognized by his mother and son, and his identity was also confirmed by other military servicemen. Ukrainian outlet Suspilne published a video interview with his mother on March 8th.