Russian Investigative Committee seeking to arrest 5 Ukrainian troops suspected of crimes against Donbas residents
MOSCOW. Aug 8 (Interfax) - The Russian Investigative Committee has asked the courts to arrest five Ukrainian troops suspected of war crimes against residents of Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax on Friday.
"Today investigators are asking the courts to place the five suspects under arrest," Markin said.
Based on the information received, battalion commander Ivan Voytenko, deputy commander Vitaliy Dubinyak, tank battalion commander Oleksandr Polyakov, headquarters chief Oleksandr Ohrimenko and squadron commander Dmytro Ustilko have been detained as suspects, Markin said.
"The detainees have admitted participating in military action and the use of different types of weapons. They deny using these weapons against civilians," Markin said.
However, investigators have proof that, upon commander Voytenko's order, between July 19 and August 3 namely the 72nd brigade used heavy offensive weapons of indiscriminate effect when firing on the cities of Krasnopartizansk and Krasnodon in the Luhansk region, as a result at least ten civilians were killed or injured and at least 20 residential buildings and public infrastructure facilities were destroyed, Markin said.
"This information is confirmed by testimonies of other Ukrainian servicemen, who served in this brigade and crossed to Russia," the spokesman said.
According to Markin, taking into account the fact that the weapons which the 72nd brigade had were similar to types which can be used for firing ammunition filled with an H-17 incendiary mixture (the so-called phosphoric charge), investigators are checking the involvement of the detainees in using this ammunition, which is banned by international legal acts.
"Their involvement in strikes on Russian territory is being checked as well," the spokesman said.
"Now, instead of bravura marches in their honor on Maidan, which they probably imagined, and instead of the awards promised, they will have a ordinary trial, sentence and, eventually, fair punishment. And I do not rule out the possibility that they could meet with their fellow citizens - members of the Ukrainian National Assembly - Ukrainian National Self-Defense serving long sentences in Russia for offences committed against our citizens," Markin said.
In the framework of investigating the criminal case on the use of banned war means and methods, investigators of the Russian Investigative Committee have questioned as witnesses over 400 Ukrainian servicemen and border guards, who crossed the Russian border on August 3, 2014, Markin said.
"Investigators have also held a range of investigative and operational proceedings aimed at determining the involvement of these servicemen in crimes committed against civilians in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions," the spokesman said.