Lugansk People’s Republic Prosecutor General’s Office investigators have found burnt bodies and remains of more than 30 people at the Kremennaya assisted living facility, the PGO press service reported.
Earlier, the LPR Interior Ministry said that more than 50 elderly and disabled people in Kremennaya had died due to Kiev forces’ actions.
“To record illegal actions by Ukrainian armed formations servicemen, LPR PGO investigators visited the facility on May 23 where they found burnt bodies and remains of more than 30 people,” the report said. “A large number of ammunition rounds, shell casings and organized fire positions have been found which confirms the survivors’ accounts that the Ukrainian servicemen hid behind persons under care and old people’s home personnel as they fought against LPR militia units.”
“In the period from March 7 to March 2022, Ukrainian gunmen took hostages at the facility and used them as a human shield, that is they sheltered behind civilians to prevent LPR militiamen from fighting for the liberation of the LPR territory,” investigators said.
“Later on, on March 11, retreating Ukrainian servicemen fired at the assisted living facility setting it on fire which killed more than 30 persons under care,” LPR prosecutors said.
The evacuation of victims was not possible for a long time due to ongoing fighting. The bodies were sent for examination to the Lugansk Republican Forensic Bureau.
LPR militia fully established control over Kremennaya on April 19 as Ukrainian armed formations gave up their positions and hardware and fled the town. The LPR Emergencies Ministry has delivered humanitarian aid to Kremennaya since the first days of liberation; some two dozen personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine joined the LPR Emergencies Ministry and continued to help 7,000 to 8,000 residents which had stayed back in the liberated Kremennaya.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Earlier, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. As of now, some 80 percent of the LPR territory has been liberated.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. The peace talks participants have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *i*s
