MOSCOW, August 5 (RAPSI) — The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a case against commander of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Oleg Goncharuk, and other military personnel of this unit, the press service of the body informs RAPSI.

The aforesaid persons are accused of using prohibited means and methods in an armed conflict, as well as atrocities against civilians.

Investigators allege that on August 2, 2021, Goncharuk, as well as other persons from among the military personnel of this unit, using prepared firing positions in the area of the settlement of Hnutovo of the Mariupol City Council, fired targeted fire from grenade launchers at objects of civil infrastructure on Vatutin Street in the village of Kominternovo, Novoazovsky district of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. As a result of their illegal actions, a 57-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man not participating in the armed conflict were injured, the Committee said in a statement.

The Russian investigative authority is confident that Goncharuk and other military personnel were following the deliberately criminal orders of their commanders and officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, and also violated the protocol on the cessation of the use of weapons in the south-east of Ukraine and the memorandum to it, the provisions of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and additional Protocol II to it.

As alleged by investigators, the accused persons acted deliberately with the aim of killing or causing grievous harm to the health of civilians because of political and ideological hatred and enmity.