Militant Shelling in Luhansk Region: Shells Hit Five-Story Building, SBU Investigative Team Comes Under Fire

Damaged housing cannot be restored before the heating season.

In the Luhansk region, militants of the Russian-occupation forces shelled civilian settlements along the line of demarcation, several residential buildings were damaged, and an SBU investigative team also came under fire. 

Read more about what happened on the line of demarcation in our article.

Shelling of residential buildings

The Luhansk Regional State Administration reports that residents of the village of Trekhizbenka suffered the most as a result of shelling by Russian-occupation forces.

So, on the evening of September 8, 2021, militants fired from the settlement of Smelo at residential buildings on the outskirts of Trekhizbenka, in the Schastia community. The enemy used artillery of 120 and 122 mm calibers, which is prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

30 shells were fired toward the houses of Trekhizbenka residents, five of them hit a five-story building, and others damaged the neighboring two-story building and private homes.

The shelling caused a fire in the two-story building, which was quickly extinguished by emergency workers and forestry workers.

Serhiy Haidai
head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration

Of course, people are frightened and in shock. Also because housing cannot be restored before the cold weather sets in. A damage assessment is currently underway, and the issue of relocating the affected families is being resolved. I am keeping this issue under personal control so that all victims quickly receive the necessary assistance. The Ukrainian side has informed the SMM of the OSCE about all violations of the ceasefire regime through the Ukrainian side of the JCCC.

Shelling of the SBU investigative team

Also in Luhansk region, militant fire hit the operational investigative group of the Security Service of Ukraine, which was working at the line of demarcation.

Special service officers were caught in the fire while working in Trekhizbenka. There, SBU officers were gathering evidence confirming the guilt of mercenaries in shelling civilian settlements along the line of demarcation.

All members of the SBU operational investigative group survived.

The Ukrainian special service is currently continuing to collect evidence in criminal proceedings over the shelling of Ukrainian positions. This is already the 64th case opened by the SBU since the beginning of the year over shelling in the Luhansk region alone.

Pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (terrorist act resulting in grave consequences) is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Luhansk Regional Prosecutor's Office.