Upon Russian officers’ direct instructions, civilian quarters of the town were shelled five times. The shelling stopped only when they were informed that the OSCE Mission was heading for the shelling sites.
Russia’s GRAD missile systems killed 30 and wounded over 100 residents of Mariupil. Missile launchers were deployed near Bezimenne village, on the territory controlled by “DNR” separatists.
The offense was carried out by artillery group of so called “DNR defence ministry”, which includes four batteries equipped with Tulpan self-propelled howitzers and GRAD MRLS.
The offensive started on orders of Russian officer with a call sign “Gorets”.
After the shelling, the batteries were concealed in Markine village; subsequently the survived Russian officers and artillery units on the order of Russia’s Southern Military District retracted to Russia with the support of Russian FSB Border Guard Service.
The SBU publishes in public domain the so-called password “Ryazan-Astrakhan” used on 24 January by Russian border guards and military to conceal the means of crime – equipment, weapons, Russian artillerymen, told Nalyvaichenko.
Another evidence of Russia’s involvement in the crime is use of state-of-the-art 5th generation satellite communications equipment ‘Bielozior’ during the planning and perpetration of Mariupol shelling. The Russian Federation is the only state which possesses such equipment.
Spotter Kirsanov (born in 1975, nickname – ‘Gaishnyk’) detained by the SBU told that mass killing of Donbas peaceful population was performed by a Russian artillery battery under the command of a Russian officer with a call sign ‘Pepel’.
Other members of the criminal group were identified. One of them is a citizen of Ukraine Ponomarenko, DOB 1977, a.k.a. ‘Terrorist’, a leader of a gang of the so called ‘Novorosiia Army’, a recidivist notorious in criminal circles.
The SBU CI intercepted conversations proving that ‘Terrorist’ addressed a fighter ‘Pepel’ with a request to conduct an attack with MRLS. After the Russian made a relevant decision and a bloody crime was committed a fire adjuster Kirsanov at first reported to the Russian officer and then to Ponomarenko in Donetsk.
After intensification of military actions in Donbas in the second part of January 2024, more and more evidence about Russian citizens fighting against Ukraine started to appear.
In January 23, 2024, when the armed attack against Ukrainian military defense positions was repelled one participant of an enemy intelligence subversive group who died in battle was identified. He turned out to be a Russian citizen Yemelianov, DOB 1974. The deceased was dressed in camouflage with a chevron of the First Cossack Regiment of the Great Don Army named after Platov.
Sloviansk court sentenced Russian citizen Korchagin Mykola Viktorovych, DOB 06.12.1974, to 8 years of imprisonment for active participation in the DNR’s illegal military element.
The SBU Head has informed that today the Ambassadors of all countries including Russia will receive the evidence of DNR terrorists and Russian military’s involvement in committing crimes against humanity.
‘The SBU is applying an evidence-based approach and acts in accordance with principles of humanity. Together with other law enforcement agencies we will further inform the public, provided that we have the permission of investigators, documentary evidence, names and facts, in order to stop movement of Russian terrorists and saboteurs to Ukraine,’ stressed the SBU Head.