After signing Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements in February 2015 the front line in the Donetsk People’s Republic was stabilized. In October 2016, active negotiations took place between the conflicting parties. Despite this, Ukrainian armed formations (hereinafter referred to as UAF) continued shelling peaceful neighborhoods and infrastructure facilities of the Donetsk People’s Republic (hereinafter referred to as DPR).
Thus, on October 26, according to information from the Donetsk Administration, the settlements of Trudovskiye and Aleksandrovka in the Petrovsky district came under fire from the UAF, one civilian was injured.
On the night of October 27–28, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers stationed in the center of Donetsk recorded 81 explosions 8–10 km northwest of their location.
On October 28, according to a representative of the command of the DPR people’s militia, the UAF “are firing from mortars and artillery systems at the Yasinovataya checkpoint. Fire is also being conducted in the area of the village of Aleksandrovka on the outskirts of Donetsk. The enemy is using mortars there.”
However, the most egregious events that can be qualified as a war crime occurred on October 27, 2016 at about 19:00 Moscow time. The Kirovskiy district of Makeyevka was subjected to artillery shelling. At least four rifled artillery shells exploded and fell on the city, causing civilian casualties.
According to updated information, 3 people were killed due to the shelling:
- Vladimir Dmitrievich Fonarev, born in 1957,
- Andrey Vladimirovich Zhurbin, born in 1976 (see 1),
- Nikolay Nikolaevich Sadykov, born in 1985 (see 2).
Fig. 1 – The body of the deceased Zhurbin A.V.
Fig. 2 – The body of the deceased Sadykov N.N.
Ten people were injured:
- Elena Vasilievna Gorlova, born in 1976,
- Vladimir Mikhailovich Gorlov, born in 1978,
- Nadezhda Dmitrievna Bukhtiyarova, born in 1949,
- Eduard Vladimirovich Mishin, born in 1990,
- Lyudmila Vasilievna Bondarenko, born 1946,
- Elena Georgievna Boyko, born 1973,
- Natalya Ivanovna Zemlyanaya, born in 1975,
- Galina Ivanovna Stolpovaya, born 1938
Among them were two children:
- Sofya Nikolaevna Sadykova, born 05/20/2010 (see 3),
- Daniil Vladimirovich Gorlov, born in 2004,
Fig. 3 – Sofya Sadykova before and after injury.
Six buildings were also damaged, including a kindergarten.
It is worth noting that observers from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (hereinafter SMM) arrived at the incident location and recorded what happened, subsequently reflecting it in their report.
As a result of the investigation, it was established, it can be stated that the artillery shelling of the town of Makeyevka on October 27, 2016 at around 19:00 was carried out with the use of 152 mm rifled artillery in the direction from the north-west to the south-east (along the azimuth of 320-330º). This act resulted in the death and injury of civilians and can be qualified as a war crime.
Combatants from the UAF 58th SMBr, armed with 152mm D-20 guns were deployed in this shelling sector.
Colonel Sergey Vyacheslavovich Zabolotny and lieutenant colonel Mihail Vasilevich Drapatyi are responsible for the actions of their subordinates.
Download the full investigation (rus)