Russian Troops Kill 5 Civilians in Zvanivka, Donetsk Region, War Crime Investigation Underway

Russian forces killed five civilians in the village of Zvanivka, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region on October 20.

According to the Prosecutor's Office on October 23, a couple and their adult son sought refuge in the basement of their private home, while their younger son went to a neighbor's house to retrieve water. Russian soldiers subsequently broke into the shelter and interrogated the family about the location of Ukrainian military personnel. After failing to obtain information, the soldiers initially departed.

“However, one of the occupiers returned and opened fire on the civilians with automatic weapons, after which, assuming they were dead, he left,” the report states.

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War in Ukraine

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When the 57-year-old woman regained consciousness, she discovered her husband and elder son had been killed. Distraught and concerned for her younger child, she proceeded to the neighboring basement, where she found his body alongside the two executed neighbors—a 62-year-old woman and her 30-year-old son.

The surviving victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to the jaw, managed to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory and was immediately hospitalized. Prosecutors interviewed her and documented her testimony as evidence of the latest war crime.

A pre-trial investigation has been initiated under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (War crime resulting in the death of people). Urgent investigative and search operations are currently underway to establish all circumstances of the tragedy and identify the Russian military personnel responsible.

Earlier, Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence released evidence—intercepted radio communications—showing that a Russian field commander explicitly ordered his troops to fire upon civilians attempting to evacuate the combat zone near Pokrovsk.

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