Russia's Investigative Committee accuses a number of Ukrainian military leaders of terrorism
Russia has accused Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence; Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces; Oleksii Neizhpapa, commander of the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces; and Serhii Burdeniuk, commander of the Ukrainian drone regiment, of terrorism over the drone attacks.
Source: Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation
Details: Although Russia started the war and its army regularly attacks civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, Russia’s IC has indicted representatives of Ukraine's top military leadership for drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in the Russian Federation.
According to Russia’s IC, the investigation has gathered evidence of the involvement of Ukraine’s top military leadership in the organisation and execution of more than 100 airstrikes using aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles in the period from April 2022 to September 2023 in the territories of Moscow and Moscow Oblast, and other regions of the Russian Federation, and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Quote: "Charges in absentia of committing crimes under subparagraphs 'a' and 'c' of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act) were brought against Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine; Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Oleksii Neizhpapa, commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and Serhii Burdeniuk, commander of the 383rd Separate Regiment of Remotely Controlled Aircraft of the Air Force of Ukraine.
It has also been established that the defendants involved their subordinate servicemen in committing the crimes."
Details: In the near future, the IC plans to "put them on the wanted list and choose a preventive measure in the form of taking them into custody in absentia".
The Investigative Committee will also continue to identify those involved in the "terrorist attacks".
Background:
- Ukrainian special services and, possibly, members of underground forces in Russia have been conducting drone strikes against Russian military targets, including airfields with military aircraft and weapons production facilities, such as the aviation plant where Kh-59 missiles were manufactured.
- However, in late September 2023, Ukrainian drones attacked a power substation in Russia's Kursk Oblast, which was connected to important Russian military facilities. The Security Service of Ukraine warned that if Russia continues to attack Ukrainian infrastructure, it will receive even more strikes in response.
- Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian army has been attacking civilian targets - oil depots, railways, educational and cultural institutions - and last autumn and winter it was actively firing missiles and attack drones on energy facilities in Ukraine.
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