Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) have interrogated the former defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Igor Strelkov over prohibited means of warfare used by the Ukrainian military in the area of the military operation in spring-summer 2014.
The interrogation lasted for about six hours. Igor Strelkov dwelled upon such incidents as shelling with phosphorus bombs and chemical weapons at Slavyanka and Semyonovka. He said, at least 12 people were wounded in shelling with phosphorus bombs and other chemical warfare agents. Many documents that Strelkov collected as a proof that Ukraine’s Armed Forces used prohibited means of warfare were destroyed during the withdrawal action from Slavyansk. Nevertheless, Strelkov named a number of other witnesses who can prove his testimonies.
Irrefutable evidences of the use of phosphorus bombs by Ukraine’s military were published on February 13. Lifenews TV Channel demonstrated video recorded by the fighters of a Kiev-controlled subdivision. The video was recorded in the spring-summer season: the soldiersy were wearing summer uniforms and sunglasses. One can see green grass outside a car window. The passengers – five men (four of them are seen in the video, while the fifth man is taking the video on a GoPro camera) - are holding an easy conversation about how phosphorus bombs blast.
A black-and-yellow chevron of the jacket of one of the military gets into the shot. One can see such emblems at the battalions “Aydar” and “Donbass.” The ICR has already discovered irrefutable evidences of forbidden weapons being used against civilian population of Donbass. Now, the investigation is in the process of identifying persons from the Ukrainian Armed Forces involved in the crime. The ICR will bring them responsible within the Russian laws.
In addition, as ICR spokesperson Vladimir Markin said, the materials of the criminal case may be submitted to relevant international courts, as it was done when investigating the crimes committed by the Georgian military against the population of South Ossetia.
For the first time, Ukraine’s army attacked the residential districts with phosphorus bombs in the summer of 2014 in the suburbs of Slavyansk, Semyonovka and the adjacent villages. Russia then demanded immediate investigation into the attacks with forbidden weapons in Ukraine. Phosphorus bombs were repeatedly used also when bombing Donetsk, including the Svyato-Iversky Women's Monastery.
