“First they are asked, then they are shot”: German intelligence caught Russian soldiers talking about murders of civilians in Ukraine

German espionage recorded conversations between Russian soldiers in Ukraine that allegedly prove that the shooting of civilians was part of Russia's war strategy in that country, the weekly Spiegel reported on Thursday.

The BND (German acronym for federal espionage services) captured radio conversations between Russian military personnel mentioning the deaths of civilians, and Spiegel says that some of them can be linked to cases of civilians found dead in the streets of Bucha, near Kiev.

One soldier tells another in one of these recordings how he and his companions had shot a person on a bicycle. There are no confirmations that this is the harsh scene that went viral this week.

In another conversation captured by the BND, a man is heard saying that “civilians are asked first, then shot”.

The German weekly says that the recordings were presented this Wednesday in the German Parliament and that the BND material shows that members of the “Wagner Group” were involved in the deaths of civilians in Ukraine, which “already stood out in its intervention in Syria for its special cruelty”.

Spiegel reports that the BND's wiretaps show that the shooting of civilians was not isolated actions of some soldiers and that they testify that Russian troops were talking about acts committed on a daily basis.

“This suggests that the killing of civilians was part of the action of the Russian military, possibly part of a clear strategy. This is about spreading fear and terror among the civilian population in order to eliminate their resistance,” the publication assures.

images of bodies found around Kiev, including the city of Bucha, highlighted the reality of the war.

In the United States, US President Joe Biden spoke of the horrors of that Ukrainian town. “Civilians executed in cold blood, bodies thrown into mass graves, brutality and lack of humanity were visible to everyone, he has no apology,” said Biden. “What is happening is nothing but serious war crimes,” he added, urging the world to hold those responsible accountable.

The Kremlin has denied its responsibility and claims that Kiev made “mounts” on the deaths of civilians. Putin accused the Ukrainian authorities of a “rude and cynical provocation” in Bucha.

But the German government said on Wednesday that satellite images taken when Bucha was under Russian control revealed that bodies were already on the streets, contradicting Russia's refusal.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, more than 11 million people have been displaced.

In Bucha, where Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of perpetrating a “massacre”, villagers were desperate to learn the whereabouts of their loved ones. But Tetiana Ustymenko already knows the end of her story. Her son and her two friends were shot dead in the street, she buried them in the garden of her house. “How can I continue to live?” , he asked.

Lyudmyla Denisova, head of human rights in the Ukrainian parliament, said on Wednesday that Russian forces were carrying “mobile incinerators” and heavy machinery to clean up rubble on the streets. He showed on Telegram an image that appeared to be the team mentioned, although it was not possible to verify it.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

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