Ukrainian Security Service gives Volker evidence of Russia's involvement in shelling of Mariupol
Vasyl Hrytsak, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), gave US State Department Special Representative Kurt Volker and US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch evidence of Russia's involvement in crimes against humanity on Ukrainian territory.
The SBU Press Center reports that Hrytsak specifically transmitted materials about the involvement of the Russian army in the shelling of Mariupol and Volnovakha in 2015, an event that resulted in the deaths of 48 Ukrainians.
"Along with the escalation of the armed conflict in Donbas, Russian intelligence is taking active measures to destabilize the situation inside Ukraine," said Hrytsak.
According to the SBU Chief, Russia is impeding the prisoner exchange process and using detainees "as a tool for [putting] political pressure on the Ukrainian government."
Information was published on the SBU website earlier in May regarding the involvement of Russian military personnel in the January 2015 shelling of the Vostochny neighborhood in Mariupol. In particular, it established that the shelling was conducted by two missile divisions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Additionally, there is a video recording of the interception of telephone conversations between Russian military personnel that confirms their involvement in the shelling. According to the records, after the shelling, Russian personnel received a command to hide the artillery installations from which the shelling was conducted on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Hrytsak unveiled the names of the military personnel who participated in the shelling. According to the SBU Chief, the results of the investigation report the suspicion, in absentia, of the involvement of seven Russian soldiers and four Ukrainian militants. All suspects have been added to the wanted list.
The SBU promised that the results of the investigation will be transferred to the International Court of Justice in the near future.