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Russian investigators identify 85 Ukrainian servicemen complicit in Donbass shelling

Former and current Ukrainian military commanders are complicit in the Donbass bombardments since 2014, Russia’s Investigative Committee’s press office said

MOSCOW, February 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee has identified 85 individuals from among the personnel of the Ukrainian army and other structures complicit in the bombardments of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR), the Committee’s press office told TASS on Wednesday.

"The investigative team has identified concrete individuals: those who give criminal orders and those who implement them. By now, investigators have identified 85 individuals from among servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces and other power structures of Ukraine complicit in committing these crimes," the statement says.

Former and current Ukrainian military commanders are complicit in the Donbass bombardments since 2014, the press office said.

"There are proofs of the complicity of the following servicemen in war crimes: former commander of the Ukrainian Navy Igor Voronchenko, commander of the Airborne Force Sergey Drozdov, commander of the highly mobile airborne troops Mikhail Zabrodsky, commander of the special operations forces Igor Lunev, Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Shevchuk, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Dublyan, Deputy Chiefs of the Ukrainian General Staff Sergey Bessarab and Vladimir Khizhnei," Russia’s Investigative committee said.

Also, commander of the Aidar battalion Sergey Melnichuk who directly participated in the mortar shelling of a peaceful territory when Russian journalists of the VGTRK TV and Radio Broadcasting Company were killed is complicit in the crimes, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

"It has to be said that a verdict has already been passed against former Defense Minister and Ukrainian presidential candidate Gritsenko. He has been sentenced in absentia to six years in a general-security prison. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Valery Geletei and former Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko are also persons probed in the criminal case because they gave orders with the aim of completely eliminating a national group of Russian-speaking citizens living on the territory of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. This is just a part of persons complicit in committing cruel crimes and being held criminally liable," the statement says.

Russia’s Investigative Committee will continue identifying those complicit in the killings of civilians of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics so that they are brought to account sooner or later, the press office said.

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