Leaked CCTV video from Belarus post office shows more than a dozen Russian servicemen in uniform packaging about 2,000kg worth of televisions, clothing, precious metals and other personal belongings that investigators claim were pillaged from Ukrainian homes.
There are widespread reports of invading forces stealing from occupied territories. One captured lieutenant was found to have hoarded iPhones, jewellery, watches and make-up.
Others, whose calls to their wives in Russia were intercepted by the Ukrainian intelligence officers, have been heard boasting about targeting apartments and using looted goods to pay off their mortgages.
The clip, initially shared by translator and photographer Yana Morozova, appears to be security footage from a small office space. Numerous men in fatigues are visible, allegedly there to ship the looted items back home to Russia. Morozova also wrote that the footage was taken in Belarus, one of the ally nations helping Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
Under international humanitarian law (IHL), looting during an armed conflict, also referred to as "pillaging," is considered a war crime.
This is not the first time Russian forces have been accused of looting during their invasion. On Friday, the Ukrainian government claimed that soldiers had stolen various items, including computers, kettles, coffee makers, and boxes full of personal belongings from the nuclear plant at Chernobyl.
Employees noticed the missing items while returning to the plant after Russian forces withdrew from the area. Hotels nearby also claimed that forks, spoons, sets of dishes, and other kitchen utensils had been looted.
Residents of the Bohdanivka neighborhood of Kyiv also reported instances of looting by Russian soldiers, among other abuses, according to
El País.
