The Department for investigative crimes connected with the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare of the Investigative Committee’s Head Office has identified a number of Ukrainian military men involved in major crimes against civilians.
In August-December 2015, commander of Karpatskaya Sech company of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukraine’s Armed Forces junior lieutenant Oleg Kutsin together with commander of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade colonel Vladislav Klochkov and other individuals following criminal orders fired heavy artillery weapons at civilian infrastructure in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
It was revealed that commander of Dnepr-1 special regiment of the Ukraine’s Interior Ministry colonel Vyacheslav Pechenenko was also involved in such crimes. On 14 August 2015, he followed criminal orders and together with other military men shelled the city of Donetsk.
More than 20 houses were partially or fully destroyed in several districts of Donetsk by artillery strikes, one civilian was injured.
Criminal proceedings were against the said individuals suspected of a crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the RF Penal Code, since their actions contain signs of cruel treatment of civilians and the use of means and methods prohibited by the international agreement of the Russian Federation.
A similar case has been opened over a more recent shelling. From 11 to 23 March, military men of the Ukraine’s Army and the National Guard followed criminal orders of the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and fired heavy artillery weapons at civilian infrastructure in Donetsk Region. The strike killed a civilian, injured nine people, destroyed and damaged more than 50 buildings, including houses. At present, investigators are looking into all the circumstances surrounding the crime and identifying those involved in it.
The investigators believe that all those crimes were committed for political and ideological reasons, because people in southeastern Ukraine refuse to recognize the current authority of Ukraine as legitimate.
The Ukrainian authorities keep ignoring crimes against civilians in Donbass. This is why the Investigative Committee will continue documenting all those instances, collecting evidence and reporting on the people involved in the crimes against peace and safety of the humanity. Without doubts the time will come when they will have to answer for all the killed and injured, destroyed houses and people’s broken lives.
Acting Head of Media Relations S.L. Petrenko
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