An intercepted call from a Russian Colonel-General has revealed the shocking moment he demanded to know why a young Russian soldier had not been "mutilated" for wearing the incorrect uniform.
In the call, Col Mikhail Mizintsev dubbed the "Butcher of Mariupol", appeared to ask why the soldier had not had his "face messed up" as a result of his rule breach.
Officially known as the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, Col Mizintsev is believed to be responsible for bombing a maternity hospital in Mariupol and the shelling of a theatre than had been housing up to 1,000 women, children and men.
Ukraine's ex-Austrian ambassador, Olexander Scherba, shared the chilling audio clip, which he claimed showed Col Mizintsev giving out to a junior officer over the lack of discipline given to a private in the Russian troops.
In the recording, he says: "Look at that scum standing there, frowning with his bovine eyes, showing me his unhappy face, his stinking mug.
"Why is he still serving? And why should I have to waste my time with your scum? If you're the head of a unit, then step up to the plate.
"Why is his face not mutilated yet? Why hasn't anyone cut off his ears? Why isn't this moron limping yet?
"At night, when he walks out, unknown assailants jump him. Just jump him over and over, beating him in the face with a bottle and then pouring another litre into it."
Mr Scherba branded Col Mizintsev the "Butcher of Mariupol" as he shared the intercepted audio clip.
In a tweet showing a translation of the audio clip, Col Mizintsev condemned the soldier for not wearing his uniform, calling him "scum of the highest order".
The colonel, who had a reputation for being a brute with no regard for human life, has been accused of ordering several strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa military administration, said Col Mizintsev "ordered the bombing of a maternity hospital, children's hospital, drama theatre, and civilian homes.
"It is he who is destroying Mariupol, as he used to destroy Syrian cities."
Mariupol has been the target of several shellings as Ukrainian officials attempted to secure humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave the city.
Although Russian officials granted corridors on several occasions, Ukraine claimed shellings continued despite the agreements, disrupting the safe passage of civilians.
Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of Ukraine's Centre for Civil Liberties, has called on Col Mizintsev to face war crime charges at The Hague.
In a tweet on Wednesday, she said: "Remember him. This is Mikhail Mizintsev. He is leading the siege of Mariupol.
"It was he who ordered the bombing of a children's hospital, the drama theatre, etc. He has huge experience of destroying cities in Syria."
READ MORE: Vladimir Putin's family relationships unravelling as invasion 'failures' take toll
READ MORE: What would happen if a nuclear bomb hit Ireland? Vladimir Putin set to hold nuclear evacuation drill
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter.
