The evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has been deemed sufficient by the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic to pass a sentence on senior mechanic-driver of the 1st tank company of the tank battalion of the 36th Separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergey Nebeshchuk, and the gunner of the said unit, Nikolay Drandalush. They have been found guilty of committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the RF (cruel treatment of civilians, use of prohibited means and methods in armed conflict), Part 3 of Article 30, clauses "a", "e", "zh" and "l" of Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the RF (attempted murder of two or more persons, committed in a publicly dangerous manner, by an organized group motivated by political, ideological hatred), and Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code of the RF (intentional damage to someone else’s property, causing significant damage, committed in a publicly dangerous manner).

The investigation and the court have established that in March 2022, the commander of the 2nd tank platoon of the 1st company of the tank battalion of the 36th separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vasily Shevchuk, Nebeshchuk, Drandalush, and other military personnel were stationed on the territory of the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works factory in Mariupol, DPR. According to the orders of their command, they were to maintain the occupation regime in the republic, including through cruel treatment of civilians and using means and methods in the armed conflict prohibited by the international treaty of the Russian Federation.

On March 12, 2022, Shevchuk received an order from the leadership to destroy a residential building on Belarusian Street, despite the fact that there were civilians in it. He assigned Nebeshchuk and Drandalush to carry it out. Nebeshchuk, driving a T-80BV tank, moved onto Dnestr Street within sight of the designated target, after which Drandalush aimed the tank's gun at the residential building and fired at the civilian object several aimed shots with high-explosive fragmentation shells. As a result of the shelling, the house was completely destroyed, and an outbuilding was damaged. The owner suffered significant damage. The victim and her children were unharmed as they managed to take cover in a safe place.

Nebeshchuk and Drandalush fully admitted their guilt in the incriminated crimes and repented of their deeds. The defendants realized that at the time of shelling of a residential building there could be civilians in it.

By the court's verdict, Nebeshchuk and Drandalush were each sentenced to 20 years in prison. They will serve their sentences in a high-security penal colony.

Shevchuk had been previously sentenced to imprisonment.