A Ukrainian family of nine people, including two children, were slain in their sleep in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, sparking outrage in Ukraine and leading to investigations from the two warring countries.

CNN reported images from the Ukrainian Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s Office showing visuals of the family members shot in their beds while tucked into each other’s arms and blood spatters on the walls. The incident happened in the Volnovakha town occupied by Russia.

Ukraine alleged that Russian occupying forces were behind the horrific murder after an argument, while Russian authorities said that two soldiers have been arrested over the killings. The prosecutor’s office said that armed men in “military uniform” approached the family and demanded them to vacate the home to accommodate a Russian military unit.

“The attackers threatened his family members with physical violence and left” when the owner house refused to leave, said the office citing preliminary information. After a few days, the gunmen returned and shot all members of the family while they were asleep.

“A pre-trial investigation was initiated in criminal proceedings over violation of the laws and customs of war,” said the prosecutor’s office.

What did Russia find?

According to Russian authorities, the two soldiers detained were identified as “Russian military servicemen from the Far East serving under contract”. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said that an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Russian investigators said the initial assessment for “the motive of the crime was a conflict on domestic grounds.”

“The suspects were detained and taken to the investigative department, investigative and procedural actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident, as well as consolidation of the evidence base are being carried out with them,” the committee said.

Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian forces are currently fighting a renewed Russian attack, especially in eastern Ukraine, causing them to issue mandatory evacuations of civilians in different parts of the country.

On Sunday, Russian air defence shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula overnight Saturday, said Russia’s Defence Ministry. In Ukraine, the country’s air force said on Sunday it had shot down five Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones launched by Russia overnight.

Prior to that, Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of damaging a nuclear waste storage facility in a drone strike on the Kursk nuclear power plant while fighting raged on for the control of the key eastern city of Avdiivika, where Russians apparently suffered heavy losses.

Thousands of people have died in the conflict spanning more than 20 months. Russia has signalled some possibility of a possible peace plan, although not without some conditions.

(with agency inputs)

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