The Directorate for the investigating crimes connected with the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare of the Russia’s Investigative Committee has finished investigation against Ukrainian citizen Nadezhda Savchenko. She is charged with crimes under paragraphs “a”, “f”, “g” and “k” of part 2 of article 105 of the RF Penal Code, part 3 of article 30, paragraphs “a”, “f”, “g” and “k” of part 2 of article 105, part 1 of article 322 (murder of two or more people, attempted murder of two or more people by a generally dangerous way motivated by hatred to a social group of people committed by a group of people in conspiracy, illegal crossing of the Russian border).
According to investigators during military actions near Luhansk in June 2014 Savchenko learnt location coordinates of a group of Russian journalists of VGTRK (Russian Broadcasting Company) and other citizens near Luhansk and passed them on to Ukrainian armed forces. After that it was those coordinates that were mortared killing VGTRK journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin. Other civilians also might have been wounded. After Savchenko voluntarily had crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border without documents and had been detained, the investigation started.
The investigators have irrefutable evidence proving direct involvement of Savchenko in the named crimes. It is the data of a forensic expert examination, which confirmed that Savchenko could have corrected the shell fire near the village of Metallist. It is also the results of a ballistic inquiry of shell fragments pulled out of the victims’ bodies, confirming that it was a shell from D-30 howitzers. Savchenko’s handwritten records and a map of the area she had on her indicating her role in the military actions were also included in the files.
Considering the evidence, the investigators changed the charges and now she is prosecuted for no being an accomplice, but a co-perpetrator of the murder of two or more people by a generally dangerous way motivated by hatred to a social group of people committed by a group of people in conspiracy. In addition, she is charged with an attempted murder of civilians who might have been wounded during the shelling she corrected. The crime bears a punishment of up to a life sentence, however, in accordance with the Russian Penal Code women cannot get a life sentence. This way Savchenko faces a maximum of 25 years in jail.
The case against Savchenko was severed from the general criminal case over genocide and use of prohibited means and methods of warfare by Ukrainian militaries to form a separate lawsuit.
The investigators have enough evidence, so the criminal case against Savchenko with the approved indictment has been sent to court to be tried on the merits.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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