Ordered to destroy Skovoroda museum: Russian general accused of war crime
Музей Григорія Сковороди/Фото з відкритих джерел
Law enforcement officers have charged a Russian lieutenant general who, according to investigators, ordered a missile strike on the Grigoriy Skovoroda Museum in the Kharkiv region. The attack caused significant damage to the building and injured a museum guard.
This was reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
According to the investigation, the accused is a native of Chuguev, Kharkiv Region, who held the position of commander of the 6th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Western Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Investigators believe that the lieutenant general acted in collusion with others and deliberately targeted a cultural heritage site protected by international humanitarian law. He knew for certain that the museum had no military purpose.
No later than May 6, 2022, the Russian commander ordered his subordinate commander of the 105th Aviation Division to attack the museum with a missile.
How Russian troops attacked the museum
On May 6, 2022, at 11:30 p.m., a Russian Su-35S fighter jet fired a Kh-35 anti-ship missile from the airspace of the Kharkiv region at a museum in the village of Skovorodynivka.
The historic 18th-century estate, where Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda spent the last years of his life, was hit. He was buried next to the building for the first time.
A civilian guard who remained on the museum premises was injured as a result of the shelling. The building suffered significant damage: the roof and ceilings were destroyed, walls, window and door openings, utilities, and part of the museum’s exposition were damaged.
Currently, the structure is in a state of emergency, making its safe operation impossible.
According to the investigation, the missile strike was deliberate and aimed at destroying an object that has significant cultural value for the Ukrainian people.
What threatens the Russian general?
The investigation established a chain of command from the army commander through the aviation division commander to the fighter regiment commander. The indictments against the latter two have already been sent to court.
On October 23, 2026, prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office approved an indictment against the Russian Lieutenant General. He is charged with violating the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine.
If convicted, the Russian military officer faces 8 to 12 years in prison.
It was previously reported that the National Police of Ukraine reported suspicions to a Russian military man who ordered the killing of a civilian during the occupation of Bucha in 2022. The suspect was identified with the assistance of analysts from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
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