Tortured on the front line: Horrific video 'shows Ukrainian soldier beaten with an axe and an assault rifle's barrel buried in his ear as he is interrogated by Russian captors'

Horrific new footage from the frontlines of Ukraine appears to show the moment Russian soldiers forced a testimony from a Ukrainian PoW after threatening him with an axe and pushing the barrel of an assault rifle into his ear

At least three Russian soldiers or mercenaries are seen demanding that the captive reveal positions of his Kyiv troop comrades at the frontline.

Russian pro-war channels published the sickening video which, if confirmed as authentic, would constitute evidence of war crimes, flouting the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

One claimed: 'This is how [Ukrainian] POWs are broken.'

The appalling incident is believed to have happened on Sunday, possibly near the village of Novoselivka, Luhansk region, north of Svatovo.

The PoW was said to be a member of a sabotage and reconnaissance group seeking to attack Russian positions.

The supposed Ukrainian in military fatigues was ordered by his captors to give the rank of his commander - a senior lieutenant, which he said was now in hospital - and the positions of other troops.

An angry interrogator, pushing a rifle to his head, barks: 'Stop feeding me bull****.'

'I am not, honestly,' says the cowering captured soldier. 'And the deputy company commander is Melnik.'

The inquisitor asks: 'And where is he….? I'll shoot you now.'

The terrified PoW replies: 'Next to this place, where we are …'

He is asked: 'Was it the one who was with you? Behind the railway, in the woods, where you are running…?

The bearded Ukrainian, his hands bound, protests: 'I don't know who is on those positions… I don't know who precisely stays at these positions.'

Another Russian soldier is then seen tapping the head of a long-handled axe on the man's shoulder.

He told the PoW: 'If you don't show us their positions, I'll break your spine, and will send you home disabled, understood? You'll go home disabled, got me?'

Another voice says: 'This is the best scenario.'

The Ukrainian is threatened: 'You'll spend your entire life in a wheelchair, did you hear that?'

The captive replies: 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!' He is then threatened again with the rifle, which is thrust at his ear.

'If you don't give us your positions, this [bullet] will come out of your other ear. Will you show us the positions?

'If you make a mistake, it'll f*** this right down your ear, *****

Independent Russian media outlet Agentstvo said it could not yet confirm the authenticity of the video.

Its report added: 'If the video really shows Russian servicemen torturing a Ukrainian prisoner, then what is happening can be regarded as a war crime.

'Article 17 of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War prohibits any physical or mental torture or other coercive measures against prisoners of war in order to obtain information about them.'

The video was first seen on pro-war hardline Russian Pozdnyakov 3.0 Telegram channel, run by ultranationalist Vladislav Pozdnyakov, 32.

The caption read: 'This is how POWs are broken.

'An AFU [Ukrainian] soldier who, as part of a diversion and reconnaissance group, had been trying to kill our men an hour ago, opened up on camera at the sight of an axe.

'In the end, tears and hysteria.'

Ukrainian publication Focus said the footage shows a man who is 'likely a Ukrainian prisoner of war'.

'The video of psychological abuse of a Ukrainian soldier was published by Russian Z-blogger Vladislav Pozdnyakov in his Telegram channel.'

As yet there is no official confirmation of the video's authenticity.