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In the Donetsk People's Republic, a verdict has been delivered against the commander of a Ukrainian Armed Forces division who ordered to open fire from small arms on civilians

The evidence gathered by the military investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has been deemed sufficient by the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic to deliver a verdict against Lieutenant Vladimir Grib, with the call sign "Miron”, commander of the anti-aircraft missile and artillery division of the Ukrainian National Guard unit 3057 (the nationalist battalion "Azov", banned on the territory of the Russian Federation). He was found guilty of committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 356 (cruel treatment of civilians, use of prohibited means and methods of warfare in an armed conflict) and Part 4 of Article 33, pp. "a, l" of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the RF (incitement to murder of two or more persons, committed out of ideological and political hatred).

The investigation and the court established that from February 24, 2022, the specified military unit was stationed in the city of Mariupol, and its personnel were involved in monitoring the city and the movement of enemy forces. Sergeant Major Maksim Kondrashev, together with his comrades, took up a post on March 2, 2022, which was located at the intersection of Shevchenko and Grecheskaya streets. Around 10 PM, he spotted a bus heading towards his position, with a civilian driver and civilians dressed in normal clothes inside the bus. After receiving a report from his subordinates, Grib groundlessly assumed that the people on the bus were members of the Russian army or personnel of the DPR People's Militia. Consequently, he ordered to open fire on the vehicle with intent to kill, which Kondrashev executed. Upon inspecting the bus, the bodies of three men and one woman were found inside. No weapons, ammunition, or military uniforms were found in the vehicle.

In addition, from March 13 to 14, 2022, Sergeant Evgeny Vysotsky and Senior Soldier Alexander Pedak were on duty at a post located at the intersection of Torgovaya street and Mir Avenue in Mariupol. Around 3 PM, they spotted two men in the uniform of "Medinvest" factory employees. Having reported that to Grib, the servicemen received an order from him to open fire on the civilians with intent to kill, which they executed.

By the court's verdict, Grib was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment with serving in a high-security prison. He is on the international wanted list.

In May 2023, the Supreme Court of the DPR found Vysotsky and Pedak guilty of crimes under Part 1 of Article 356 and pp. "a", "zh" of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the RF, and sentenced them to 25 years of imprisonment each. Kondrashev was also found guilty by the court of committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 356 and pp. “a” of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the RF, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with serving in a high-security prison.