A Russian military commander taken captive in Ukraine said higher-ups told troops entering Ukraine that they were invading because “nationalists, Nazis have seized power.”

Lt. Col. Astakhov Dmitry Mikhailovich made the comments in a video widely shared across social media.

“You are in a tense situation going against your own commander. But this is a genocide. The people are just killed,” Mikhailovich added.

Sounding remorseful for the invasion, the commander said he would go to jail or do “whatever we deserve. We’re ready for everything.”

Mikhailovich’s comments were made under duress, and may have been a violation of the Geneva Conventions, according to legal analyst Jonathan Turley, Chair of Public Interest Law and George Washington University.

“It is not clear who is in possession or took the videotapes of these POWs. Many citizens are joining the front lines in this fight. However, as difficult as it is in this fluid battlefield, Ukraine is under an obligation to seek adherence to the conventions,” Turley said.

“One answer cannot be that the Russians deserve it,” he added. “The Conventions are only viable if they are applies evenly. If we apply the rules selectively, the Russians will claim the same exceptional status in their treatment of Ukrainian POWs.”

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