Over 100 civilians killed, 200 injured in Kiev military op – Russia’s investigators
Over 100 civilians were killed, 200 injured and hundreds of homes destroyed in the Kiev military operation in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. Russia blames Governor Kolomoysky and Interior Minister Avakov for the bloodshed.
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“During this operation and the shelling of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Donetsk, Mariupol and other towns in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Grad multiple rocket launcher systems, unguarded aircraft rockets with pellet warheads, and other types of heavy offensive weaponry were used intentionally to kill an unlimited number of civilians in violation of international law,” Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
“As a result, over 100 civilians were killed, including two Russian citizens performing their professional activities – journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, human rights activist Andrey Mironov and Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli,” he said.
“Two hundred civilians were also wounded, and over 500 residential buildings, as well as hospitals, kindergartens and schools were destroyed. Following those events, many people had to flee their homes and came to the Russian Federation.”
The Investigative Committee intends to launch an investigation against the governor of Dnepropetrovsk, Igor Kolomoysky, and the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov.
According to the Investigative Committee’s information, starting from April 12, Avakov and Kolomoysky organized and managed the military operation carried out by the Ukrainian military, the National Guard and Right Sector armed fighters, and the Dnepr special forces of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, created and financed by Kolomoysky.
“The Committee believes the kidnapping of the “Zvezda” journalists Sushenkov and Malyshev was organized with the consent of Avakov, Kolomoisky and other high-ranking officials,” he added.
Markin also declared that international arrest warrants would be issued for Kolomoysky and Avakov as “persons who are accused of crimes against peace and the security of humanity.”
On Tuesday, Kiev’s army shelling near Lugansk claimed the lives of two Russian journalists, Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, who were filming refugees leaving the scene when a shell hit their small group.
The two journalists working for Rossiya TV died from their wounds, with reporter Igor Kornelyuk passing away on the operating table.
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Later Tuesday, the death of Anton Voloshin, a sound engineer, was also confirmed by the channel. According to RT’s sources he was killed at the scene, but due to ongoing fighting it wasn’t possible to approach the body for a few hours.
Earlier Ukraine's Prosecutor General said that Kiev’s military operation in eastern Ukraine left 181 people killed, including 59 of ruling regime troops, and 293 injured.
