Isis has beheaded a man claimed to be a Russian intelligence officer in a gory propaganda video released to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. The lengthy video repeated the format used in previous hostage executions, including of James Foley and David Haines, showing a prisoner identified as Evgeny Petrenko giving a “confession” under duress.
He was shown dressed in a black jump suit, speaking with militants in prison, before kneeling in a desert and urging other Russian agents to surrender. Russia’s defence ministry dismissed the video, which appeared authentic, as a “hoax” and said no members of its armed forces had been captured or killed.
