Shelling of a nursing home in Kreminna

Shelling of a nursing home in Kreminna
Part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Location
Date
Target	Nursing home
Attack type	Shelling by a tank, Use of Human shields
Deaths	56
Perpetrators	Russian separatist forces in Donbas Ukrainian Armed Forces

The shelling of a nursing home in Kreminna, Luhansk region, took place during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 7 March the Ukrainian armed forces reportedly occupied a care house in the village of Stara Krasnianka, near Kreminna, and set up a firing position there without first evacuating the residents. On 11 March 2022 Russian affiliated armed groups attacked the care house with heavy weapons while 71 patients with disabilities and 15 members of staff were still inside. A fire broke out and approximately fifty people died. A group of residents fled the house and was rescued by Russian affiliated armed groups.

Ukraine officials accused the Russian forces of deliberately targeting a medical facility and forcefully deporting the survivors. On 29 June, a report of the OHCHR described the incident as an "emblematic" case of a military objective placed near civilian objects and possible use of human shields to prevent military operations in the area.

Events

As reported by OHCHR, on 7 March Ukrainian soldiers took up positions inside the care house in the village of Stara Krasnianka, near Kreminna (Luhansk Oblast) and set up a firing base there without first evacuating residents and staff. Dozens of elderly and disabled patients, some of them bedridden, were left inside without water or electricity.

In the preceding days the Ukrainian armed forces had allegedly mined the surrounding area and blocked roads, which prevented the local authorities from evacuating the site, as requested by the management of the care home. On 9 March, the Ukrainian forces based at the care house engaged in a first exchange of fire with Russian affiliated armed groups without casualties among the civilian residents of the house. It is unclear which side opened fire first.

On 11 March, Russian affiliated armed groups attacked the care house again and used heavy weapons while patients and staff were still inside. The attack caused a fire that spread throughout the facility and killed the patients who couldn’t move. A group of residents fled the house, walked for 5 kilometres in the forest and was rescued by Russian affiliated armed groups. 22 patients survived the attack but as of 29 June the exact number of persons killed remains unknown. On 20 March Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk region, reported 56 victims. At the time of the attack, 71 patients with disabilities and 15 staff were at the house.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the attack, the Ukrainian ombudsperson Denisova alleged that over 50 elderly persons had been intentionally fired upon by a tank in the care home, and called the attack a "crime against humanity" by "racist occupation forces". Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk region, reported 56 victims from the attack, which he called "cynical "Ukraine partly responsible for attack on nursing home, UN says"and deliberate". He also alleged that 15 survivors were kidnapped by the occupiers and taken to a geriatric hospital in Svatove, at the time under control of the separatists. On 20 March Ukraine’s prosecutor general announced war crimes charges against Russia for the attack on a medical facility, and the US Embassy in Ukraine stated that Russia will bear responsibility for the crime.

In the first half of April, a Russian Telegram channel published a video from the destroyed nursing home, which showed many burned bodies, ammunition and weapons among the ruins. The Washington Post verified the location of these videos and images by comparing them to many pre-war archival videos and photos of the nursing home and confirmed their identities. The Washington Post reported that both Ukrainian and Russian forces had blamed each other for the incident without providing clear evidence.

On 29 June the OHCHR published a report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine disclosing more information on the attack. In the report, the OHCHR stated that the attack was "emblematic" of its concern over the potential use of human shields in war.

External links

• Media related to [[commons:|]] at Wikimedia Commons

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