Russian Investigative Committee (SK) chief Alexander Bastrykin has chaired a briefing in Lugansk over investigation into crimes committed by Ukrainian armed formations against civilians and Russian servicemen in the territory of Russia and Ukraine, the SK press service reported.
“Bastrykin heard the reports on the latest results of the investigation into Kiev regime crimes,” press service said.
The SK has filed 2,287 criminal cases against 655 persons including Ukrainian military officials and politicians, radical nationalists and Ukrainian law-enforcement officers since 2014.
Investigators said that more than 4,800 civilians including over 130 minors had been killed in the armed conflict and that at least 8,500 including more than 400 children and adolescents had been wounded. Civilian casualties were largely caused by indiscriminate artillery attacks and small arms and light weapons fire. More than 118,000 people including over 23,000 minors have been recognized as injured parties during the whole period of investigation.
“As of now, the SK has investigated 134 criminal cases. The gathered evidence is sufficient to prosecute the culprits. The investigation into several crimes of Ukrainian nationalists against civilians is in the final stage. For eight years, investigators have been documenting proofs and ascertaining the circumstances of the Nazis’ atrocities against the civilian population. The SK has found ample evidence of Donbass residents’ being deprived for long years of the opportunity to venerate the memory of their ancestors and follow the glorious traditions of the Soviet people who forged the victory over fascism,” the press service said.
In the course of the conference, SK officials reported on the efforts to meet citizens’ requests to find their relatives in the special military operation zone. The SK provides assistance in the search for missing persons to the applicants who include residents of the new Russian regions, and takes their DNA samples that might be required for identification.
The SK chairman underlined that this work must continue and that these requests must never be left unanswered. Bastrykin also heard the reports on the staffing and accommodation of new SK branches in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. He ordered to continue to create proper labor conditions for the SK staff while taking into account the current situation and assigned tasks.
The SK Head issued a number of instructions and designated the deadlines for their implementation.
The Lugansk People’s Republic became a part of Russia on September 30, 2022 after the unification referendum.*i*v
