The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration from Chisinau commented on Monday the news about the death of soldier Oleksandr Matievsky, a native of the Republic of Moldova, in Ukraine, believing that the circumstances of his death can be qualified as a “military crime”.

“After confirmation by the Ukrainian side of the fact that the Ukrainian soldier executed by Russian soldiers is Oleksandr Matievskyi, the IAEA strongly condemns the murder of a citizen of Moldova, an act that can be qualified as a war crime and a gross violation of international humanitarian law. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Oleksandr Matsievskyi and our solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” reads the press release of the Chisinau diplomacy quoted by NewsMaker and news.ro.

“We confirm the firm position of the Republic of Moldova, with which we condemn the brutal war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Our country remains committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to return the region to peace and stability,” added the ministry headed by Nika Popescu.

The Ukrainian authorities have officially confirmed the identity of the soldier who was executed by the Russians, even though he was in captivity, after saying “Glory to Ukraine!”.

The man who was killed on December 30, 2022, is named Oleksandr Matievsky, he is from the Republic of Moldova.

Having confirmed his identity, Kyiv leader Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced on Sunday evening that he would be awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine” posthumously.

Execution viral on the internet

The other day, a video appeared on social networks in which a soldier in uniform smokes and defiantly says “Glory to Ukraine”, and then he is riddled with bullets.

After an apparently unarmed man wearing a uniform with a Ukrainian flag on his arm is fatally wounded, a voice is heard offscreen saying in Russian: “Die, you bastard!”

The video quickly went viral, and later the Ukrainian army confirmed the identity of the soldier: his name was Oleksandr Matievsky and he was a sniper in a unit in the north of Chernihiv Oblast. At first, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that the name of the shot soldier was Timofii Sadura, but then it came back.

“Today we awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to soldier Oleskandar Matievsky. A person whom all Ukrainians will know. A person who will be remembered forever. For his courage, for his trust in Ukraine and for the glory of Ukraine!” Zelenskyi said in his speech to his compatriots on Sunday evening.

Reuters reported that a reporter from the German daily newspaper Bild contacted Matievskii’s mother, who allegedly said: “He was standing without a weapon, but he was proud to be Ukrainian. He was always incredibly brave. At that moment, the only weapon he could use to defend himself was to say: “Glory to Ukraine!”.

The term “Glory to Ukraine!” it is more than a century old, but it came into general use after Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet regime. It was widely used as a salute from the beginning of the war, always eliciting the response “Glory to the Heroes!” (Glory to heroes).

Born in Chisinau

Oleksandr Matievskyi was born on May 10, 1980 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, and in 2008 he moved with his family to Ukraine, to the city of Nizhyn, where his mother lives.

Oleksandr had no military service experience, but immediately after the start of the Russian invasion, on February 24, he volunteered for the 163rd battalion of the 119th brigade, which defended the Chernihiv region.

In November, his unit was sent to the city of Bakhmut, and on December 30, 2022, he received a combat mission, during which Matievsky was probably captured.

His body was returned home only in February, but at that time there was no information about the circumstances of his death. The results of the forensic medical examination coincide with the physical injuries that can be seen on the video, Ukrainian media reports.

On February 14, Oleksandr Matievskyi was buried at the Nizhyn Cemetery. The hero has a 19-year-old son.

The Ukrainian press also wrote that the Russians posted the video of his execution to “humiliate his memory.”

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