The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against the russian military command that organized an air strike on Kharkiv’s civilian infrastructure on May 25, 2024.

On that day, the ruscists dropped two guided bombs on a construction hypermarket in the city.

The strike killed 19 local residents and injured 46 others with varying degrees of severity. The building of the store and its storage facilities was completely destroyed.

It has been established that the order to carry out the air raid on Kharkiv was given by the commander of the ‘North’ grouping of the russian armed forces, colonel general Alexander Lapin.

After that, the chief of staff of this grouping, lieutenant general Valeriy Solodchuk, organized the preparation of the plan of the attack.

Three more of Lapin’s subordinates were involved in the planning and implementation of the bombing, namely:

• commander of the 6^th army of the air force and air defense forces of the aggressor state, lieutenant general Oleg Makovetskyi;
• chief of staff of the 6^th army of the russian air force, major general Yuriy Podoplelov;
• commander of the 47^th bomber aviation regiment of the 6^th army of the russian air force, colonel Oleksiy Loboda.

To carry out the strike, the enemy took off with Su-34 bombers, which launched three UMPB D-30SN glide bombs at the Kharkiv hypermarket.

Two of the bombs hit the civilian building, while another fell near the shopping center and did not explode.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators notified the five commanders of suspicion in absentia under Articles 28.2, 438.2 of the CCU (violation of laws and customs of war that caused deaths, committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy).

Efforts are underway to bring the russian war criminals to justice.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.