Ukraine identifies Russian suspect in July attack on children’s hospital

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan and Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin look at parts of a Russian missile that was used to attack the Ohmatid Children’s Hospital in July, in Kyiv on September 10, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters

Ukraine’s prosecutor general said on Tuesday (September 10, 2024) that Kiev suspects a senior Russian air force commander of ordering A missile attack on a children’s hospital in central Kiev in July Which killed two people and caused extensive damage.

Prosecutor General Andrey Kostin did not name the man, but said the Hague-based International Criminal Court had already filed a charge against him. arrest warrant issued Against him.

In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, who it said was the commander of Russia’s long-range aviation forces. The ICC said at the time he was suspected of war crimes, including ordering attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.

Russia denies committing war crimes in Ukraine and says its targets are not civilians.

“We are continuing the investigation to find out others responsible for the attack on Okhmatdit,” Mr Kostin told reporters, referring to the hospital.

He stood outside the damaged clinic next to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who is on a visit to Kyiv.

According to Mr Kostin, the commander ordered the firing of a Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile from a Russian bomber at 10.45 am on July 8, the day of the attack.

Mr Khan said various sources indicated that the KH-101 missile had been identified.

“From multiple sources and the work that has been done, it appears that a missile, a Kh-101 cruise missile, has been identified,” Mr. Khan said. “There are a number of factors that need to be looked into further.”

The ICC has issued arrest warrants against six Russian officials. Including President Vladimir Putin,

Mr Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, were accused by the court last year of illegally deporting children from occupied parts of Ukraine.

Russia has rejected the ICC’s war crimes arrest warrant as part of a biased Western campaign to smear Russia.

Russian officials say such warrants have little real-world impact because Moscow is not a member of the court, nor are other major powers, such as the United States and China.

Mr Kostin is leading Ukraine’s campaign to prosecute alleged war crimes by the Russian military and more than 140,000 cases are being investigated.