“The investigating authorities of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Smolensk Region initiated a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Art.

105 of the Criminal Code of Russia (murder) on the fact of the disappearance of two eight-year-old and one ten-year-old boys, ”the ministry said in a statement.

According to preliminary data, on March 7, 2022, two brothers and an eight-year-old boy left the house and went in an unknown direction, later they were seen walking along the Dnieper River.

The body of an eight-year-old child was found on March 8 in the Dnieper River near the children's place of residence.

At the moment, search work continues.

On February 1, it became known that the body of a girl born in 2020, who had previously disappeared in the city of Kholm, Novgorod Region, was found.