The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against the russian military commanders who organized blowing up and subsequent destruction of the Oskil Reservoir dam in Kharkiv oblast in the autumn of 2022.

According to the investigation, these actions were commanded by:

• lieutenant general Oleg Tsokov, commander of the 20^th combined arms army of the western military district;
• lieutenant general Oleg Makovetsky, commander of the 6^th army of the russian air force and air defence.

On 12 September 2022, on Tsokov’s order, his subordinate engineering units mined and blew up the shield of the first gate and the roadway between the hydroelectric power station building and the gallery of stationary mechanisms.

At the same time, the ruscist aviation groupings under Makovetsky’s command covered the enemy sappers from the air.

After that, from 13 to 30 September 2022, russian bombers regularly shelled the dam with high-explosive and guided bombs such as FAB-250, FAB-500, OFAB-500ShL and KAB-1500.

This led to uncontrolled water leakage from the reservoir over an area of over 120 square kilometres.

A comprehensive examination initiated by the SSU established the facts of environmental damage worth almost UAH 4 billion.

Based on the collected evidence, SSU investigators served Tsokov and Makovetsky suspicion notices in absentia under two Articles of the CCU:

• 28.2, 438.1 (violation of laws and customs of war, committed upon prior conspiracy);
• 28.2, 441 (ecocide, upon prior conspiracy, by a group).

The information about Tsokov’s possible death in the war in Ukraine is being verified. However, his death is not a reason to terminate the criminal investigation.

Efforts to prosecute the russian war criminals are underway.

The investigation is carried out by the SSU Office in Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office of Kharkiv region.