ST. PETERSBURG, May 19. /TASS/. The Russian Investigative Committee is looking into more than 3,000 criminal cases after Ukrainian militants shelled the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov and Bryansk regions, along with Crimea and other Russian territories, said the agency’s head, Alexander Bastrykin.
"The largest number of attacks was recorded in the Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Rostov and Krasnodar regions, the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. To date, the Investigative Committee has initiated more than 3,000 criminal cases into these events," he said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
According to the official, investigators have recorded the deaths of more than 620 civilians from shelling of Russian territory.
"According to the investigation, the shelling of Russian territory resulted in the death of 621 civilians, including 38 children, and at least 3,217 people sustained injuries of varying severity, including 249 minors," Bastrykin said.
The official also said that about 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 18,500 injured since the start of the armed conflict.
"The main cause of civilian casualties was shelling of civilian infrastructure by representatives of the Kiev regime, which used explosive weapons, small arms and light weapons, mostly foreign-made ones," he said.
The 8th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum is taking place from May 19 to 21. Held at the Expoforum Exhibition and Convention Center in St. Petersburg, the event is organized by the Russian Justice Ministry and Roscongress. TASS is the premiere media partner.