The Investigative Committee of Russia has initiated two more criminal cases in connection with the criminal actions of the Ukrainian military in Donbas; the cases have been initiated on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (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).

According to the investigation, in the period from March 15 to 17, 2022, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations carried out massive targeted artillery and mortar attacks from heavy weapons on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Donetsk, Gorlovka, Makeevka, Dokuchaevsk, Yasinovataya, Volnovakha and Mariupol, the towns of Yelenovka, Sartana, Andreevka, and the village of Vasilievka of the Donetsk People’s Republic. 

Two civilians were injured in the city of Makeevka and two civilians were killed in the village of Vasilievka in the Donetsk People’s Republic during the shelling. In addition, as a result of shelling, four civilians were injured in the town of Krasny Partizan, two were injured in the town of Sartana, and a civilian was injured in the city of Volnovakha. Nine more civilians were injured during the shelling of the city of Mariupol. A total of 18 people were injured, two were killed.

Hits and explosions of shells in Petrovsky Raion of the city of Donetsk damaged residential buildings and facilities, damaged a gas pipeline and a power line. As a result, the Central and Northern waterworks were stopped, the filtration station was de-energized, the water supply to the city of Donetsk was cut off. In Gorlovka, gas pipelines and residential buildings were damaged, facilities in Kochegarka, Yelenovka and Dokuchaevsk were also destroyed. In the town of Shirokaya Balka, five transformer substations were de-energized, as a result of which 200 consumers were left without power supply.   

The investigation has also recorded a number of criminal actions of the Ukrainian military on the territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic during the period March 16-17, 2022. Massive targeted artillery and mortar shelling of civilian infrastructure facilities from heavy weapons was recorded in the cities of Pervomaisk, Kirovsk, in the towns of Donetsky, Golubovskoye, Centralny of the Lugansk People’s Republic. Hits and explosions of shells damaged residential buildings and facilities, the buildings of the local administration and a poultry farm.

The IC of Russia continues to identify officials from among the Ukrainian military involved in these crimes against the peace and security of mankind.