The Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk regions has notified a russian Armed Forces officer of suspicion for ordering troops to open fire indiscriminately, including on civilians, during an assault on a village in Donetsk region.

Suspect

Vasiliy Blashchuk (born September 6, 1989) is a citizen of the russian federation and a native of the closed settlement Vladimir-30 in Vladimir region. He resides in the city of Raduzhnyy.

He holds the rank of junior lieutenant and serves as commander of an assault platoon in an assault company of a motorized rifle battalion of the 237th Tank Regiment (military unit 91726, Soloti, Belgorod region), part of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Moscow Military District of the russian Armed Forces.

Circumstances of the crime

From September 17, 2025, Blashchuk’s unit took part in hostilities in Donetsk region near the village of Shandryholove, Lyman territorial community, Kramatorsk district.

On September 17–18, 2025, he personally commanded several assault groups attempting to seize the settlement, where civilians were still sheltering in private homes.

At around 10:00 on September 17, Blashchuk ordered his subordinates via radio to advance toward residential areas and open fire on everyone except children. He repeated the order several times on September 18.

At 11:20 the same day, Ukrainian forces conducting drone reconnaissance spotted the body of a civilian man in the yard of a house at 220 Hutchenka Street.

At approximately 11:30, Blashchuk ordered the bodies, including that of the civilian man, to be concealed.

Notice of suspicion

Investigators determined that Blashchuk’s actions violated Articles 27, 32 and 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as well as Articles 11, 40, 51, 75 and 85 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions.

Blashchuk has been notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of the laws and customs of war resulting in a person’s death.

The criminal proceedings were registered in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under No. 22025050000000920 on September 22, 2025.