Hours after a battle in eastern Ukraine in August, a wounded and unarmed Russian soldier crawled through a nearly destroyed trench, seeking help from his captors, a unit of international volunteers led by an American. Caspar Grosse, a German medic in that unit, witnessed the soldier pleading for medical attention in a mix of broken English and Russian. As dusk fell, a team member searched for bandages. However, another soldier approached and fired his weapon, first into the Russian soldier’s torso, then in his head. Mr. Grosse was disturbed by the incident and eventually spoke out to The New York Times about the ongoing unwarranted killings within the unit.
The killing of the unarmed, wounded Russian soldier is just one of several disturbing incidents that have unsettled the Chosen Company, a well-known unit of international troops fighting for Ukraine. These incidents include the grenade killing of a surrendering Russian soldier and the boasting in a group chat about the killing of Russian prisoners of war.
Mr. Grosse’s witness account is supported by contemporaneous notes, video footage, and text messages exchanged by members of the unit. The Ukrainian military has the authority to investigate accusations of war crimes, but it remains to be seen if they will take action. The American volunteers fighting with the Chosen Company are not backed by the United States government, but the U.S. Justice Department has the power to investigate due to the involvement of American citizens.
The Chosen Company, a mix of fighters from various countries, has a reputation for being a hub for volunteers seeking combat. The unit has been involved in various missions, some of which have resulted in controversial incidents such as the killing of prisoners of war. The company’s de facto commander, Ryan O’Leary, denies that his fighters have committed war crimes, stating that they only targeted wounded Russians who could have fought back. The Ukrainian military has the responsibility to investigate such accusations, but it remains to be seen if they will take action.