The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against a russian general who organized an attack on a crew of the international news agency Reuters on 24 August 2024.

A Reuters employee was killed and 5 of his colleagues were injured when a russian ballistic missile hit the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk.

According to SSU investigators, the person responsible for this air attack is russian colonel general Aleksey Kim, who is the deputy chief of the general staff of the russian armed forces.

It was Kim who signed the directive and gave the order to fire on the hotel where only civilians were staying.

To carry out the attack, the russian colonel general engaged one of his subordinate missile units.

Following Kim’s order, his subordinates hit the hotel with an Iskander-M ballistic missile.

The strike completely destroyed the civilian building. In addition to the Reuters journalists, 5 other civilians sustained injuries of varying severity.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators notified the russian colonel-general Kim of suspicion in absentia under several Articles of the CCU:

• 28.2, 437.2 (waging aggressive war);
• 438.2 (violation of laws and customs of war).

Efforts are underway to bring the enemy commander to justice. Every russian war criminal will be found and punished.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.