City of Happiness in the LPR. Archive photoLUGANSK, May 1.Investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation have already interviewed more than 1,000 residents of the city of Shchastia in the LPR as part of a criminal case on facts of genocide, in which Ukrainian troops are accused of opening fire «in order to completely destroy the Russians,» a representative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation working on the spot told RIA Novosti. «Now «Our investigators continue to work in the city of Shchastia. They record the destruction from shelling by the Ukrainian troops, people hand over fragments of exploding and unexploded ordnance. Witnesses and victims are being interviewed — more than a thousand civilians have already collected testimonies,» the agency's interlocutor said. On April 18, a criminal case was opened against persons participating in the armed conflict on the side of Ukraine, on the grounds of a crime under Article 357 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (genocide, that is, actions aimed at the complete destruction of a national, ethnic group as such by killing its members, inflicting serious harm to their health and the creation of living conditions, designed for physical destruction). According to the RF IC, in violation of the requirements of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (New York, 09.12. destruction of Russians and the Russian-speaking population.» As a result, civilians were killed, hundreds of residents received injuries of varying severity. The exact number of dead and injured is being established. In addition, at least 331 residential buildings were damaged, some of which were completely destroyed, as well as civilian infrastructure and life support facilities (gas pipeline, electrical substation, water supply networks, schools, kindergartens, catering establishments) were destroyed. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24 . President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and, as of March 25, they have completed the main tasks of the first stage — they have significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.
