The Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine has served a notice of suspicion on a serviceman of the russian armed forces for shooting a civilian car on the Kyiv–Zhytomyr highway in March 2022.

What is known about the suspect

Dmytrii Lapshakov (born January 5, 1993) is a native of the settlement of Pishchanka, Buryatia, Russia. At the time of the crime, he was a serviceman of the 212th District Training Center of Tank Troops of the Eastern Military District of the russian armed forces (military unit 21250), where he served as a driver-mechanic of a tank company with the rank of senior sergeant.

In March 2022, he arrived in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kyiv region to replenish losses and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Separate Tank Brigade (military unit 46108), which advanced on Kyiv from the Chornobyl exclusion zone in February–March 2022.

Circumstances of the crime

On March 25, 2022, between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., at the 27th kilometer of the M-06 Kyiv–Chop highway near the village of Myla in Bucha district, Lapshakov, together with other servicemen, was positioned at combat positions near the “UPG”, “Avantage 7”, and “BRSM” gas stations.

At that time, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV driven by a 45-year-old civilian was traveling along the road toward Zhytomyr. At the time, this section of the road was the only evacuation route for civilians from the combat zone.

Lapshakov was fully aware that the vehicle was civilian and had every opportunity to stop and inspect it. Nevertheless, he opened fire on the car with an automatic firearm — investigators documented at least 63 shots. The bullets struck the doors, roof, fenders, and other parts of the vehicle.

After the damaged car came to a stop, Lapshakov approached it and finished off the severely wounded driver with several shots to the head. The man died at the scene from his injuries.

Suspicion

The police charge Lapshakov with Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder.

Previously, he was also suspected under Part 2 of Article 28 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - committing a crime by prior conspiracy by a group of persons. Now the investigation believes that he was the sole perpetrator of the murder.

The proceedings were registered in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations at 12024000000001476 on July 23, 2024.