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By attacking the civilians of Donbass, Ukrainian nationalists continue to violate the norms of international law – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaiming the right to life, liberty and personal inviolability, the Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and its additional protocols thereto, which guarantee that the civilian population and individual civilians enjoy general protection from the danger arising in connection with military operations and must not be the target of attacks. Also, there are obvious violations of the Convention (IV) respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its annex, which prohibits attacks or bombing of unprotected cities, villages, dwellings, or buildings in any way.

On March 14, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations fired at Voroshilovsky District of Donetsk using the Tochka-U tactical missile system with cluster munitions, as well as mounted massive precise artillery and mortar attacks using heavy highly-destructive weapons against civilian infrastructure facilities in the cities of Donetsk, Gorlovka, Makeyevka, Yasinovataya, Volnovakha, and Mariupol of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The hospital building, maintenance facilities, and residential buildings sustained damage from shell hits and explosions in Petrovsky District of Donetsk. In addition, 4 civilians were injured.

Shelling in Kirovsky District of Donetsk resulted in death of 4 women not involved in the armed conflict. In the Tekstilshchik residential neighborhood, hospital building, vehicles, and a residential building were damaged; at least 18 civilians were injured.

As a result of shelling of the city of Volnovakha, 2 civilians not involved in the armed conflict were injured in the village of Vladimirovka, Volnovakha District.

In the city of Gorlovka, houses, gas pipelines supplying residential buildings, as well as maintenance facilities, were damaged by shell hits and explosions.

As a result of the night shelling of the city of Makeyevka on March 16, maintenance facilities and residential buildings were damaged.

As a result of shelling, in the city of Yasinovataya and nearby areas, the Verkhnekalmiusskaya pumping station was damaged; maintenance facilities and residential buildings were destroyed or damaged.

In addition, as a result of shelling of the city of Mariupol, 3 civilians not involved in the armed conflict were injured.

Also, from March 17 to March 18, unidentified servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations, being near the state border of the Lugansk People's Republic and Ukraine, carried out obviously criminal orders of higher commanders and officials and mounted massive precise artillery and mortar attacks in the cities of Pervomaisk, Stakhanov, Rubezhnoye, as well as the settlements of Kalinovo and Zolotoe-5 of the Lugansk People's Republic.

As a result of shell hits and explosions, residential buildings were damaged in the city of Pervomaisk and nearby areas, as well as in the settlements of Kalinovo and Zolotoe-5.

In the city of Stakhanov, the electrical substation of the Stakhanov ferroalloy plant was damaged in the shelling.

In addition, during the evacuation of the civilian population from the city of Rubezhnoe, Severodonetsk District, a minor civilian resident not involved in the armed conflict was injured.

In addition, in a damaged residential building in the city of Svatovo, the body of a civilian, who did not participate in the armed conflict, was found. The civilian died from injuries sustained on February 28 as a result of artillery and mortar shelling of the settlement.

Following these incidents, the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated 2 criminal cases on a crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (ill-treatment of civilians, use of means and methods prohibited by an international treaty of the Russian Federation in an armed conflict).

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