Prosecutor's Office: Russian officer who shot civilians in Hostomel identified
The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office identified a Russian deputy commander of the National Guard unit of Krasnoyarsk region who fired at a civilian in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the office's press service reported on March 20.
Hostomel is a town located around 10 kilometers northwest of Kyiv. As the all-out war started in February 2022, Hostomel was one of the main strategic aims of Russian troops due to its proximity to Ukraine's capital and the presence of a cargo airport near the city.
One of the Russian attacks on Hostomel Airport destroyed An-225 Mriya, the world's largest aircraft.
Ukrainian forces retook the town in early April 2022.
According to the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office, the identified Russian soldier and his comrades were ordered to kill civilians in occupied Hostomel.
On Feb. 25, 2022, the suspect allegedly shot at a civilian car that was driving across Shevchenko Street in the direction of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast. The driver survived despite gunshot wounds. The crime against the civilian was recorded on a video.
Russian soldiers from this unit were reportedly involved in the shooting of 12 vehicles in Hostomel, killing 11 and injuring 15 people, the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office's report says.
Tim Mak
