**Ukraine Identifies Soldier in Severed Head Photo, Documents Russian War Crime**
The Ukrainian authorities have identified a soldier whose severed head was circulated online by Russian sources. Artur Dobroserdov, the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, confirmed this on February 3.
A photo shows a Russian soldier holding what appears to be the severed head of a Ukrainian service member. The National Police will investigate to clarify the circumstances and locate the body.
**Investigations Underway**
The National Police has been tasked with contacting the soldier’s relatives and investigating the case. Ukrainian authorities are also documenting another violation of international humanitarian law by Russia.
The Prosecutor General’s Office was informed of the incident as part of ongoing efforts to document Russian war crimes. Each war crime is thoroughly documented, and the relevant information is transmitted to international legal institutions.
**Russian War Crimes Documented**
Ukrainian authorities have documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russia, including the execution of 177 captured Ukrainian soldiers as of mid-December 2024. Cases of Russian forces decapitating Ukrainian troops have also surfaced in June and August 2024.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a sharp increase in executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces, with 79 executions recorded in 24 separate incidents since August 2024.
**Other Developments**
Ukraine is using laser technologies to hit Russian targets, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published on February 3.
Armen Sarkisyan, a pro-Russian collaborator from Donetsk Oblast wanted by Ukraine, died in the hospital after being injured in an explosion in an elite residential complex in Moscow on February 3.
Senior Russian officials have allegedly visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to Reuters.