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The Investigative Committee of Russia Initiates Another Two Criminal Cases on Shelling of Settlements in Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics

The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated two criminal cases on a possible crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code (ill-treatment of civilians, use of means and methods prohibited by an international treaty of the Russian Federation in an armed conflict) in connection with Ukrainian troops firing at civilian infrastructure facilities in settlements of the DPR and LPR.

The investigators found that from March 19 to March 21, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations carried out obviously criminal orders of higher commanders and officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In violation of the provisions of the Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Geneva, 12.08.1949) and Additional Protocol II thereto, they deliberately mounted massive precise artillery and mortar attacks with highly destructive heavy weapons against civilian infrastructure facilities that are not military targets in the cities of Donetsk, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya and Mariupol, the settlements of Alexandrovka, Krasny Partizan and the village of Vladimirovka of the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as in the cities of Pervomaisk, Kirovsk, and Rubezhnoye of the Lugansk People's Republic.

As a result of shell hits and explosions, in Petrovsky District of Donetsk and in the village of Alexandrovka, a civilian was killed; 3 women and 3 men not involved in the armed conflict were injured. In addition, the buildings of the district prosecutor's office and administration, the Children's City Hospital No. 4, the gas pipeline, as well as numerous residential buildings and maintenance facilities were damaged.

In Kirovsky District of Donetsk, a gas pipeline was damaged in the shelling; a residential building was damaged in Kuibyshevsky District.

In Gorlovka, the shelling resulted in damage to a residential building and maintenance facilities.

Similar consequences were registered in Yasinovataya and nearby areas, where residential buildings and maintenance facilities were also affected. Apart from that, a civilian not involved in the armed conflict was injured.

As a result of shelling and military action in Mariupol, 2 girls born in 2016 were killed, and 8 civilians, 3 of whom were minors, were injured. In addition, 3 local residents not involved in the armed conflict sought medical help; they were injured from March 12 to 15 during the shelling of the city and the village of Vladimirovka, Volnovakhsky District, Donetsk People's Republic.

As a result of shell hits and explosions in Pervomaisk and Kirovsk, residential buildings and maintenance facilities were damaged. In Rubezhnoye, on March 19, during the evacuation of residents not participating in the armed conflict, unidentified servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations fired precision artillery and mortar shots at the territory of School No. 2. As a result, the evacuation was discontinued, and the civilians had to take shelter in the school basement.

The work on collecting evidence of war crimes against civilians committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and nationalist battalions in order to identify specific persons involved and to hold them criminally liable continues.