Investigators of the SBU in Kharkiv region, under the procedural leadership of the regional prosecutor's office, have launched a pretrial investigation into the shelling of residential buildings in Balakliya by Russian military, killing three people.

"According to investigators, on April 6, 2022, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces fired artillery at residential buildings in the city of Balakliya... People's housing was partially destroyed in the shelling. Three people died in the shelling," the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said.

Criminal proceedings were initiated under Part 2 of Article 348 (violation of rules of the warfare accompanied with an intended murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

This is not the first time that the Russian Armed Forces have shelled Balakliya. So, on April 2, the Russian invaders fired at the Balakliya Central District Hospital, when there were patients and staff. The hospital building was damaged in this shelling. People were not hurt. On April 3, the occupiers fired on buses on which it was planned to evacuate patients and hospital staff. One of the drivers was killed.

Balakliya is a temporarily occupied territory of Kharkiv region. Earlier it was reported that the mayor of Balakliya, Ivan Stolbovy, agreed to cooperate with the occupiers.