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The Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations continue shelling the territory of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. The intensity and cruelty of massed targeted artillery shelling on non-military targets by the Ukrainian military from heavy types of weapons with high damaging properties is only increasing. Residential buildings, clinics, schools, gas pipelines and water pipes are being destroyed, and other civilian infrastructure facilities are being demolished. The number of wounded and casualties among the civilian population is growing inexorably every day.

It is obvious that the Ukrainian military are acting deliberately, with the aim of killing and harming an unlimited circle of people, while neglecting the norms of international law. The actions of the Ukrainian military bear signs of a crime entailing liability for ill-treatment of the civilian population, the use in an armed conflict of means and methods prohibited by an international treaty of the Russian Federation. In this regard, the Russian investigation authorities are initiating criminal cases. Just recently, two more criminal cases were initiated under Part 1 of Art. 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

It is worth saying that such crimes are a serious violation of international law, in particular, the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War dated August 12, 1949, and Additional Protocol II to it. The Russian investigation has every reason to investigate such crimes.

Also, by decision of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, the Central Office has established the operational headquarters to coordinate work related to documenting crimes committed by the Ukrainian regime against the civilian population of the LPR and DPR. The headquarters’ key task is to collect and record evidence of genocide and other crimes committed by the military and political leadership of Ukraine, members of nationalist battalions and other persons against the peace and security of mankind on the territory of Ukraine, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in order to bring the perpetrators to justice. In each such case, all necessary measures will be taken to identify the persons involved in the crimes and bring them to justice.