Caspar Grosse, a German medic in the American-led international volunteer unit, told The New York Times he witnessed soldiers from the Chosen Company killing prisoners of war.
The existence of the Chosen Company is a peculiar feature of Ukraine’s war effort. In desperate need of manpower, the army opened its ranks to thousands of international volunteers after the war broke out in February 2022. Consequently, there are fighters with varying degrees of experience and professionalism fighting under Ukraine’s leadership, some of whom would not have been allowed anywhere near the battlefield under Washington’s leadership.
Hence, the Chosen Company is a mixture of deserters, thrill-seekers and ageing soldiers and has become a hub for battle-seeking volunteers. The company, numbering about 60 men from about a dozen countries, fell under the command of the 59th Independent Motorised Rifle Brigade of Ukraine. The purpose of the unit has frequently been labelled as a force as shock troops, groups that could lead attacks and clear positions despite heavy fire and, at times, heavy casualties.
The German medic Grosse cited several instances where he saw members of the Chosen Company shooting, killing, and throwing grenades at unarmed Russian soldiers. Grosse’s eyewitness recollections and accounts of other episodes come backed up by his contemporaneous notes, video footage, and text messages.
- The grenade episode. On 23 August 2023, just over a dozen soldiers from the Chosen Company joined a small Ukrainian unit for Operation Shovel. The goal was to dislodge Russian troops from trenches south of the eastern Ukrainian town of Pervomayske. The episode occurred after the trench was declared clear. One unarmed Russian soldier rushed frantically into Chosen’s trench and then hurried away before being shot dead. Drone footage showed the surrendering Russian soldier holding his hands up for a few seconds before a grenade falls nearby, killing him. The Ukrainian military later published an edited video showing only two seconds of the fateful encounter. The videoo shows that the Russian does not have a weapon, but the moment when he raises his hands is not included.
- Fatal shooting. The selected company took up trench defences after the operation and began to wait for reinforcements. Grosse said that toward evening, a badly wounded Russian soldier, thought to be dead, began crawling along the trench, calling for help. A Chosen soldier from the US, known as Cossack, knew a little Russian and tried to talk to him, Grosse said. When Cossack said he was American, the wounded man began saying “help” and “surrender” in English, according to Grosse. That’s when Zeus arrived and shot the Russian soldier in the chest, further Cossack shot the Russian soldier in the head with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
- Text evidence, notes. Nearly two months later, in mid-October, about a dozen Chosen One members were again called to the area to stop the Russian advance. Further discussion erupted in the group chat room, hinting at the shooting of Russian prisoners. Chosen members bragged in chat about killing Russian POWs during the mission, text messages show. A soldier who was in command for a while that day hinted at the killings, using a slang word for shooting. He said he would take responsibility.
The German medic said he confronted his commanding officer about the incident. He subsequently spoke to The New York Times after the unjustified killings continued. The shooting of an unarmed wounded Russian soldier is one of several killings that have alarmed the Chosen Company, one of the most notorious units of international troops fighting on the side of Ukraine.
Ryan O’Leary, the actual company commander of the Chosen Company and a former US Army National Guardsman from Iowa, said a Greek soldier Zeus, who was at the centre of all three episodes, declined to comment. O’Leary denied that his members had committed war crimes but said his men had killed wounded Russians, but only those who could fight back. He rejected the episode in the trench that Grosse described, saying that the incident never happened and that the medic was not on that mission. In addition, he also rejected the significance of the text messages. He vowed to find out who had spoken to reporters.
The US Justice Department could investigate as O’Leary and other members of Chosen are Americans. Rachel E. VanLandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School and former US Air Force lawyer, believes that if any video of the US Army killing a surrendered soldier surfaced, as it does in the Chosen Company case, regardless of the circumstances, it would prompt an immediate investigation. She stressed:
Failure to investigate is more troubling than the incident itself. Lack of accountability starts with lack of investigation.
The killing of prisoners of war is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Once soldiers clearly state their intention to surrender, they cannot be attacked and must be safely taken into custody. The Ukrainian military has the authority to investigate allegations of war crimes and has launched an investigation into allegations of abuses committed by Russian troops. In response to a list of questions, the military made no promises to investigate.
