Shelling of Mariupol: Ukraine will submit evidence of Russia's actions to ICJ

The servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation used two regular battalions of BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers to shell the district of Mariupol town on January 24, 2015. The documentary evidence will be submitted to the International Court of Justice.

Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak said this at a briefing on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"During the detailed and thorough investigation, our investigators established and documented that this crime [the missile attack on Mariupol on January 24, 2015] was committed by the servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In particular, this terrorist act was carried out with the use of two regular multiple launcher rocket system battalions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," he said.

According to Hrytsak, the experts made every effort and managed to document how the Russian divisions crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border and advanced to the positions of terrorists, where Mariupol was fired from.

The SBU investigators established direct involvement of the units of the 200th Pechenga Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division (former 5th Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Brigade) in the shelling of Mariupol.

Major-General Stepan Yaroshchuk, the Chief of the Missile Troops and Artillery of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, controlled the operation from the territory of Russia.

The chief of the Security Service of Ukraine said that the findings of the investigation would soon be submitted to the United Nations International Court of Justice within the lawsuit of Ukraine v. Russia over the violation of International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

On January 24, 2015, the Russian-occupation forces fired multiple launch rocket systems at Ordzhonikidzevsky district of Mariupol and the adjacent village of Vynohradne in Volnovakha district, Donetsk region. As a result of the attack, 30 people were killed, including two children, 108 people were injured, 30 residential buildings, 7 educational institutions, infrastructure facilities and a power line were damaged.

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