Russian General Charged Over Kyiv Missile Attack
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office have formally announced charges in absentia against a Russian major general for ordering a missile strike on Kyiv on March 1, 2022. The commander of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division is the latest to be implicated in an ongoing investigation into war crimes committed during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These legal proceedings are part of Ukraine's broader strategy to document and prosecute alleged atrocities committed on its soil.
Investigators identified another Russian military figure as a suspect in the attack. According to the inquiry, the accused received an order from the commander of Russia's long-range aviation and subsequently issued a combat directive to deliberately target civilian infrastructure. The strike, carried out using Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles, resulted in the deaths of five civilians, including a television operator for a Ukrainian channel, and left six others wounded.
Damage and Legal Charges
The missile strike caused significant damage to several sites, including:
- multi-story residential buildings
- a television tower structure
- facilities of the P.L. Shupyk National University of Health of Ukraine
- an auto repair shop
- a sports complex
The Russian commander has been charged with violating the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder committed by a group of individuals. The charges are based on Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
This major general is the third high-ranking Russian military official to be charged for this specific war crime. In August 2025, two other generals involved in planning and executing the missile strike were similarly charged in absentia. Those individuals were the commander of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force and the commander of the 121st Heavy Bomber Regiment of Russia's Aerospace Forces.
This case underscores the gravity of the war crimes committed during the conflict in Ukraine and highlights the determined efforts of Ukrainian law enforcement to document evidence and pursue accountability for violence against civilians.
The continuation of these investigations and the charging of such senior officers could represent a significant step for international justice and increase pressure on Russia regarding its aggression against Ukraine.