Donetsk regional prosecutor's office starts investigation into murder of nine civilians in Volnovakha

"A sleeping family was shot – an investigation was launched into the murder of nine civilians, including two children, in occupied Volnovakha... A pre-trial investigation was opened into the violation of the laws and customs of war, Part 2 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the press service of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office reports.

While monitoring media reports, prosecutors discovered information about the murder of a family by representatives of the Russian armed forces in the temporarily occupied town of Volnovakha.

According to preliminary data, people wearing military uniform came to a private household in October 2023. The armed men demanded that the family that lived there vacate the house for the accommodation of one of the Russian army divisions.

After receiving a refusal from a 53-year-old owner, the attackers threatened his family members with physical violence and left.

"On October 27, representatives of the Russian armed forces returned to the house and, using firearms, shot all nine members of the family who were already sleeping at that time. There were three women and two minor children born in 2014 and 2018 among the killed," the prosecutor's office specified.

Currently, the pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The maximum penalty for this crime is life imprisonment.

As reported, the bodies of nine people with gunshot wounds, including two children, were found in one of the private houses in the town of Volnovakha, temporarily occupied by the Russians since 2022. According to a local resident, the family was celebrating a birthday, and their son-in-law had quarreled with Kadyrov’s soldiers the day before because of the house they wanted to take away. It is assumed that the shooting could be a consequence of the conflict. The youngest murdered family member was only five years old.

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