MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened almost 600 criminal cases over the developments in Ukraine that have unfolded since 2014, the committee’s press service told TASS on Friday following a briefing session conducted by Chairman of the Committee Alexander Bastrykin in Rostov-on-Don.
"In all, so far, 590 criminal cases have been opened over the developments in Ukraine. During the entire period of the investigation, over 169,000 people have been questioned, over 42,000 were recognized as victims and among them were more than 7,400 minors," the committee noted.
As the top investigative official emphasized, massive shelling by Ukraine’s armed formations using high-powered explosives, along with small and light weapons remain the main cause of casualties among civilians. To date, investigators have confirmed multiple cases of brutality against civilians, using means and methods during an armed conflict that are prohibited under the international treaty of the Russian Federation, including proof indicating the development of biological weapons, war crimes and other atrocities, such as torturing servicemen and civilians, mercenarism, abductions, unlawful confinement, genocide, extremism and so on.
Additionally, the investigators documented several instances of some of the border regions of the Russian Federation being shelled by the Ukrainian side.