On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched a military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin called its goal “to protect people who have been subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years”. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, as of March 25, the Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine and transgressed to achieve the main goal — to liberate the DPR and LPR. Units of the DPR and LPR operate in the region together with the Russian military.
Fierce battles were fought in the Donetsk front area, and Russian troops conducted numerous offensive operations. Ukrainian armed formations, in turn, actively used artillery in their defense. Among other things, fire was directed at densely populated residential areas of Donbass cities.
Thus, the summer of 2022 was marked by daily artillery shelling of Donetsk, which took the lives of many civilians.
In this investigation, we consider the artillery shelling of the Voroshilovskiy district of Donetsk, carried out using the Grad MLRS on June 4, 2022, at about 22:00 (MSK). As a result of the incident, apartment buildings located in the city center and the following educational institutions were damaged: Municipal Comprehensive Lyceum No. 5 named after N.P. Boyko of the city of Donetsk; School LOGOS; Secondary School No. 22; Classical Humanitarian Gymnasium; Nursery-kindergarten of combined type No. 13.
As a result of the shelling, 17 people were injured, including children:
— a boy born in 2017 and a girl born in 2005;
— men born in 1991, 2001, 1933, 1948, 1988, 1979;
— women born in 1949, 1977, 1955, 1940, 1961, 1997, 1947, 1964, the year of birth of another woman is being determined.
As follows from the above, on June 4, 2022, at about 22:00 a.m. (MSK) the Voroshilovskiy district of Donetsk came under artillery fire from a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system. At least 20 shells flew in the direction from north-west to south-east (azimuth 320 degrees). The shelling was carried out using 122-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles.
Units of the 56th SMIBr of the UAF, which were armed with Grad MLRS, could be deployed in this shelling sector. The overall command of the brigade was exercised by Colonel Sergey Syrchenko, who is responsible for the actions of his subordinates.
Colonel Dmitry Gerasimenko is another officer of the brigade who could have given a criminal order.
Moreover, the highest military-political leadership of Ukraine is responsible for crimes committed during this armed conflict. Namely: President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhnyy.
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