Ukraine Charges Russian Military Leaders Over Odesa Missile Attacks

The Security Service of Ukraine has notified a number of high-ranking military officials of the Russian Federation of suspicion and summoned them for questioning over the shelling of Odesa.

The information was made public by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

According to SBU materials, these are Vice Admiral Arkady Romanov, Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, and Colonel Oleksiy Shcherbak.

The Security Service charges these occupiers with conspiracy to violate the laws and customs of war, namely, they ordered missile strikes on Odesa, in particular on the night of November 6, 2023, when an Oniks missile hit the center of Odesa and created a large gap in the city center, and the blast wave damaged several multi-story residential buildings and the Odesa National Art Museum, a UNESCO heritage site. On November 6, the Odesa National Art Museum celebrated its 124th anniversary.

It also suffered damage:

• A residential building (built in 1880) at 4-6 Sofiyivska Street.
• The house where P.I. Molachnov, a Ukrainian composer and music teacher, lived in 1848-1945 at 8 Sofiivska Street.
• A residential building on the corner of Kinna and Sofiivska streets.
• The Eye Microsurgery Building on Olhivska Street, where Professor Filatov once worked.
• Boffo's house at 2 Olhivska Street.
• A house on 10 Sofiivska Street.

On the night of November 5-6, the Russians launched a missile attack on Odesa, allegedly using Oniks and Iskander-M. Eight people sought medical care for various injuries. Three with minor injuries received the necessary assistance on the spot, five were hospitalized. Four of the wounded are residents of Odesa.

This was actually the second attack in a day, as in the middle of the day on November 5, a tactical aircraft from the Black Sea sent an X-31P anti-radar missile to Odesa region and an X-59 guided missile to Dnipro region.

Earlier, journalists from the Center for Public Investigations were able to talk to a Russian military officer who participated in the preparation of a missile strike on Odesa on April 23, 2022, when the missile hit the Tiras residential complex.

Кирило Бойко