LPR court sentences Ukrainian serviceman to 20 years for firing at Popasnaya homes
The Supreme Court of the Lugansk People’s Republic has sentenced a Ukrainian serviceman to 20 years for firing at a residential area in Popasnaya in March 2022, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee (SK) reported.
“The court said that the evidence gathered by the SK was sufficient for passing a guilty verdict for Ukrainian serviceman Pavel Smilko from 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade,” the report said. “Smilko was sentenced to 20 years in a maximum security prison.”
According to the investigator, Smilko, together with his colleagues was ordered to deliver fire at houses of Popasnaya residents with the view of intimidating civilian population and damaging civil infrastructure facilities.
“Knowing that there were no Russian or LPR military units in the settlement, the above persons fired fragmentation shells from a MT-12 100mm anti-tank gun at house yards in Mira, Gagarina and Kievskaya Streets in the period from May 15 to March 19, killing a man and damaging property,” the SK said.
Smilko was found guilty of cruel treatment of civilians, use of banned means and methods of warfare, murder and malicious damage to property. He pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Earlier, the LPR Supreme Court sentenced an Ukrainian drone operator to 14 years in a maximum security prison for coordinating an “Uragan” multiple rocket launcher strike at Pervomaisk in April 2022. *i*ie