The SSU continues to identify war criminals of russian occupation groups. We have established the identities of russian high-ranking officials who organized the armed seizure of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It has been established that the order to storm a strategically important Ukrainian facility was given by the former deputy commander of Siberian district of the National Guard of russia, major general Oleg YAKUSHEV.

To execute the criminal order, colonel Andrey FROLENKOV, deputy commander of the combined special purpose unit of the National Guard of russia in Bryansk region, directly supervised actions of his subordinates during the attack on the NPP.

Thus, the occupiers grossly violated the requirements of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibits attacks on nuclear power plants in wartime.

In addition, after the armed seizure of the NPP, another russian general of the National Guard of russia, Sergey BURAKOV, ordered his subordinates to illegally take to russia 169 servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine, who were defending the state institution.

He also ordered to loot property and special equipment from a state-owned enterprise and transport it to russia.

So far, all three officials have been notified, in absentia, of suspicion of crime under Article 438.1 (violation of laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The investigation is ongoing to bring the occupiers to justice for crimes against Ukraine.

The SSU is investigating the case under the procedural supervision of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office of the Prosecutor General’s Office.