The SSU has collected evidence against the commanders of russian troops involved in the attempted ecocide in Kharkiv oblast.

The suspected russian army officials are the head of russia’s Western military district, colonel general Alexander Zhuravlev and four of his subordinates:

• lieutenant general Oleg Makovetsky, commander of the 6^th air force and air defence army;
• lieutenant general Vladyslav Yershov, commander of the 6^th combined arms army;
• colonel Pavel Pilyukov, commander of the 45^th heavy artillery brigade;
• colonel Yevhen Gerashchenko, commander of the 79^th Novozybkov guard rocket artillery brigade.

According to the investigation, in 2022 alone, the occupiers carried out over 70 targeted strikes on the Neutron Source Research Facility in Kharkiv on their orders.

During the attacks, the invaders used FAB-500 aerial bombs, as well as Grad, Smerch and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems.

In addition, the ruscists fired on the civilian nuclear facility with heavy barrel artillery such as Pion, Msta-S, Acacia and mortars.

The Neutron Source operates under the National Scientific Centre Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology and is an operating research centre for the nuclear industry and nuclear energy.

The enemy strikes could have caused an environmental disaster of an interregional scale.

According to the findings of the SSU-initiated examination, the material damage caused to the local community as a result of russian shelling amounts to almost UAH 15 billion.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators have served notices of suspicion in absentia to the five russian servicemen under two Articles of the CCU:

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

The actions of Zhuravlev and two of his subordinates, Makovetskyi and Yershov, are additionally qualified under the Articles of the CCU:

• 28.2, 110.3 (encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability, which resulted in the death of people, committed upon prior conspiracy, by a group);
• 28.2, 437.2 (waging an aggressive war or aggressive military actions, committed upon prior conspiracy, by a group).

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