The “Rosich” fighting force linked to the infamous Wagner group advises its fighters not to report to Russian commanders about the capture of Ukrainians but to execute them. “The actions of Rosich’s men in the war demonstrate the alarming prominence of neo-Nazi groups that commit atrocities in the name of the Kremlin”
A pro-Kremlin neo-Nazi group active in Ukraine incites atrocities against prisoners of war and explicitly advocates the torture of prisoners including “removal of body parts”. “Task force “Rositz” fights in Ukraine on behalf of the Kremlin and is linked to the infamous mercenary group “Wagner” group, Putin’s private army.
A message on the “Rositz” Telegram channel sent on September 22 advocates the “extermination of prisoners on the spot.” Adam Hadley, director of Tech Against Terrorism, a London-based anti-terrorist group supported by the United Nations, published that: “Rosich, an open neo-Nazi group operating most likely on behalf of the Kremlin, promotes the commission of war crimes, despite Putin’s claims, the actions of Rosich’s people “The war demonstrates the alarming prominence of neo-Nazi groups that commit atrocities in the name of the Kremlin,” reports the British Guardian.
Pro-Kremlin neo-Nazi militia inciting the torture and murder of Ukrainian prisoners https://t.co/bhiK8E2jej
— The Guardian (@guardian) October 2, 2022
Rosich fighters, known for their brutality in Syria and in the war in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea, they were observed in the Donbas region, Kherson and Kharkiv region. The US Treasury Department announced on September 15 that it was taking economic measures against Rositz, after linking her to the Wagner group. He described Rosich as “a neo-Nazi paramilitary group that participated in fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.”
Adam Hadley said: “We strongly encourage other democracies to consider applying significant sanctions against Rosic and to examine whether it is appropriate to define Rosic or the Wagner group as a terrorist organization. We believe that broader restrictions on Rosic will almost significantly reduce their ability to coordinate attacks, recruit militants and spread propaganda through the Internet and messaging apps.”
The group’s Telegram post contains specific and detailed instructions for the channel’s followers on the topic of “removal of prisoners of war from the armed forces of Ukraine.” Its key points also include explicit instructions to kill captives after interrogation and encourages forcing the families of murdered captives to pay Rosich for the bodies of their loved ones. The post urges not to report the capture of Ukrainians to the Russian command, and if it is to be reported, it should be noted that the captive is already wounded or dying.