STEPANKI, UKRAINE (AFP) – Ukrainian authorities and witnesses interviewed by AFP on Thursday (May 12) accused Russian forces of shelling a residential home in an east Ukrainian village from a tank, killing several civilians.
The incident took place on March 27 in the village of Stepanki outside the regional capital Kharkiv, when occupying Russian forces opened fire on a house from a tank, killing two men and a woman, Ukraine’s prosecutor-general’s office said on Telegram.
Kharkiv police and witnesses said four people were killed and two wounded. The discrepancy could not be immediately explained.
An investigation into a war crime and premeditated murder has been opened, according to prosecutors.
Witnesses interviewed by AFP said the six people who lived in the house were drinking tea in the courtyard when a Russian tank approached.
“They started going into the house to hide,” said Ms Olga Karpenko, 52, whose daughter was among those killed.
The tank took aim and fired at them as they entered the house.
“Four people died, two were injured. My daughter died from a shrapnel wound in the back of her head,” Ms Karpenko said.
Local resident Denys, 40, said he saw the barrel of the tank turn towards him.
“Someone said: let’s go hide inside the house,” Denys remembered. “I entered last and as soon as I entered the tank fired. Everything collapsed, I couldn’t see anything. I got out as soon as I could and ran behind the house.”
