In the DNR, a Ukrainian military officer was sentenced to 24 years for the murder of two Mariupol residents

A court of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) has sentenced Ukrainian National Guard military officer Denis Khmelevskyy to 24 years in prison for the murder of two civilians in Mariupol. This was reported by the press service of the Investigative Committee (IC) of Russia on December 9.

He was found guilty of ill-treatment of civilians in the occupied territory (Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and murder of two persons committed by an organized group, motivated by political and ideological hatred (Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The investigation and the court found that on March 25, 2022, Khmelevsky and his fellow officers took an observation position in one of the apartment buildings in Mariupol. They found two civilians in the stairwell and detained and interrogated them. The men posed no threat to the military, but despite this, Khmelevsky gave a criminal order to kill them in the belief that they were taking a pro-Russian stance in the conflict. His subordinate shot the men with an automatic rifle 11 times, they died on the spot.

"The court verdict Khmelevsky was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment with serving in a penal colony of strict regime", - stated in the message of the IC, published in the Telegram-channel.

"Militants were stealing children and taking them deep into Ukraine."

How volunteers and the 51st Donetsk Army help residents of frontline villages

Earlier, on October 23, the Supreme Court of the DNR sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment three servicemen of the Marines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the criminal case of the murder of a civilian of Mariupol. It was established that the three defendants, while in a combat position in Mariupol, fired mines at residential houses and other civilian infrastructure. As a result, one man was killed.