Russian generals behind mining of grain corridor served with notices of suspicion

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has gathered evidence against two more top Russian officers who committed war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine.

Source: the SSU, the Prosecutor General’s Office

Details: Vice Admiral Sergey Pinchuk, First Deputy Commander of the Staff of the Black Sea Fleet of the Armed Forces of Russia, and Major General Oleg Pchela, Deputy Commander of Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Forces of Russia, have been served with notices of suspicion.

Both officials gave orders to carry out missile attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, Pchela and Pinchuk are among the organisers of large-scale attacks on Ukraine from 10 October 2022 to January 2023.

During this time the Russians launched tens of air- and sea-based cruise missiles of the Kh-101, 3M14 Kalibr types and supersonic Kh-22 missiles on the power infrastructure facilities of Ukraine.

As a result of these attacks, 51 civilians have died, 110 more have sustained serious injuries. There were small children among the civilian casualties.

Pinchuk also ordered to mine a sea route from the Bosporus strait to the city of Odesa in order to block the grain corridor. He was also in command of the attacks on port infrastructure and coastal agricultural facilities of Ukraine, as reported by the SSU.

The Russians hoped to disrupt the export of Ukrainian agricultural products and to destroy logistical centres of its transportation and preservation with these attacks.

On the grounds of the collected evidence, Vice Admiral Pinchuk and Major General Pchela were served with notices of suspicion under four articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Article 110.3 (encroachment of the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
• Article 437.2 (planning, preparation, unleashing and waging a war of aggression);
• Article 438.1 (violating the laws and customs of war);
• Article 438.2 (violating the laws and customs of war which led to the death of people).

Complex measures are being conducted to hold both perpetrators accountable.

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