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The Armed Forces of Ukraine commander’s involvement in the Donetsk shelling is established; as a result of the shelling few civilians are injured

The Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia launched a criminal case against the 54th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine commander, Colonel Oleksiy Maistrenko, who is suspected of committing a crime prescribed in Part 1 of Art. 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (ill-treatment of the civilian persons; the use of banned means and methods of warfare).

According to the investigation, on May 4, 2022, the servicemen of the 54th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted the targeted artillery shelling of civilian infrastructure facilities in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk; the deliberately criminal orders were made by his commander Oleksiy Maistrenko and the other Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officials. As a result of this, 9 civilians, who were in the minibus and in close proximity to it, were injured, one person died.

Within the criminal investigation, the Investigative Committee of Russia identifies other persons involved to this crime from among the Ukrainian security forces, and also examines the circumstances of what had happened.

Aleksey Maistrenko is already prosecuted in a number of other criminal cases related to the Donbass civilian persons shelling, and he is imposed a pre-trail indictment.