Russian forces have shot six civilians in the village of Zvanivka in Bakhmut district of Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: On 20 October, a husband and wife and their adult son were sheltering in the basement of their home, while their younger son had gone to a neighbour's house to fetch water. Soon after, Russian soldiers stormed into the shelter where the family were hiding and began interrogating them about the location of Ukrainian troops in the area. When the family failed to provide any information, the soldiers left.

Moments later, one of the occupiers returned and opened fire on the civilians with an assault rifle. Believing them all to be dead, he left the scene.

When the 57-year-old woman regained consciousness, she found her family killed. Fearing for her younger son, she went to the neighbour's basement, where she discovered his body alongside the remains of a 62-year-old woman and her 30-year-old son, both shot dead.

Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the jaw, the survivor managed to reach Ukraine-controlled territory, from where she was taken to hospital. Prosecutors have questioned her and documented evidence of another war crime committed by Russian troops against civilians.

Under the procedural supervision of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been launched into the war crime that resulted in civilian deaths.

Urgent investigative and operational measures are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the incident and identify the Russian soldiers responsible.

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