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Looters stripped and publicly humiliated by Ukrainian civilians amid Russian invasion

The images taken on March 8 showed Ukrainian civilians fighting back against lawless criminals looking to steal goods and money during the ongoing crisis

Several criminal offenders were seen in photos from war-torn Kyiv, strapped to lamp posts as punishment for allegedly looting in Ukraine's capital city amid the Russian invasion.

The images, captured on Tuesday, March 8, showed Ukrainian civilians fighting back against lawless criminals looking to take advantage of the ongoing crisis. Multiple individuals were seen tied to street furniture, some with their trousers pulled down to their knees, as they were disciplined and humiliated in public. There have been several reports of looting across the country since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his offensive. The primary targets of these opportunistic looters have been supermarkets, gas stations, and banks.

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Ukrainian civilians took it upon themselves to tackle crime in their neighborhoods while the armed forces remained occupied trying to resist the Russian invaders. Social media was inundated with photos and videos from towns and cities across Ukraine depicting similar scenes. People were seen tied to lamp posts or telephone poles, with cardboard signs listing their crime placed next to them, the Daily Mail reported.

According to The Spectator, civilians have been spotted shouting and haranguing those who had been caught. Some were even beaten and forced to strip naked in the freezing cold. Besides local criminals, multiple reports claimed Russian soldiers were also raiding supermarkets and banks as they advanced towards Kyiv.

Last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the war was taking a toll on the morale of Russian soldiers, who "go into grocery stores and try to find something to eat." Russian troops were seen in several clips shared on social media, looting towns as they advanced further into the country. Some Russian soldiers captured as prisoners of war were reportedly carrying military rations which had expired in 2015. There were also reports of Russian soldiers sabotaging their own military equipment in a bid to stop fighting in Putin's war. Radio messages intercepted from Russia hinted that many troops were disobeying Kremlin's orders to bomb Ukrainian towns.

One viral video showed a group of Russian soldiers in tears after being taken prisoners, as they claimed they had no idea about being deputed into an active warzone. They revealed that they were used like "cannon fodder" by senior commanders who are waging war against "peaceful people defending their territory". "This is not our war. Mothers and wives, collect your husbands. There is no need to be here," an injured soldier shared. 

A few days ago, another Russian soldier sent a haunting final text to his mother, moments before he died in the war. As the soldier's mother asked him where he was, he told her, "I just want to hang myself now." He added, “Mom, I’m in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I am afraid. We are bombing all of the cities, together. Even targeting civilians." He emotionally mentioned, "We were told that they would welcome us and they are falling under our armored vehicles, throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass. They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard.”