Captured Russian Soldier Confirms Order To 'Open Fire' On Civilians

Russia's military forces were told to "open fire" on civilians in Ukraine and seize one of the country's major cities in under a few days, a captured Russian officer has revealed.

The unnamed platoon leader claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered troops to take Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv in three days before advancing and capturing other Ukrainian cities, the Daily Mail reported.

"There was a command to capture the city of Kharkiv, occupy all the roads, block civilian exits and occupy the city," the Russian soldier was quoted as saying in a video released by Ukraine's Security Service.

Additionally, Russian forces were told to "open fire" on the civilians of Kharkiv at the start of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, claimed the officer, who was captured following a shootout between his platoon and Ukrainian soldiers.

"We had permission to open fire on command and on all city residents," he said.

The officer also claimed he had been told that he was entering Ukraine as a "peacekeeper" to "free Ukraine from Nazis."

Russian forces have surrounded Kharkiv two weeks into the invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said, as per the Stars and Stripes.

"We don't assess that [the Russians have] taken the city by any means, but they have closed in on it," the official said.

The capture of Kharkiv, Ukraine's former capital, would be Russia's biggest victory in the war, according to the outlet.

Russian shelling and aerial bombardments in the city's residential areas and rural settlements Wednesday night resulted in the deaths of several people, including children, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said in a statement.

Two women and two children were killed in the village of Slobozhanske by Russian artillery. Meanwhile, an injured 5-year-old girl who survived the attack was rushed to a hospital in Pervomaisk.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has killed at least 549 civilians, but the actual figures may be "considerably higher," the United Nations said in a report released Thursday.

"Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the organization said.

Despite Russia insisting that its military was not deliberately targeting civilians in its invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have reportedly attacked densely populated areas and even children's hospitals.

Russia's indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas and strikes on protected places such as hospitals violate international humanitarian law, as per Amnesty International.