Ukraine identifies Russian commanders behind deadly hypermarket strike on Kharkiv
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Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has identified four Russian generals and one colonel responsible for the deadly attack on a hypermarket in Kharkiv, the agency reported on Jan. 30.
The attack on the Epicenter hypermarket was carried out with guided aerial bombs on May 25. It killed 19 people, including two children, and injured 46 others. A third bomb, which did not detonate, was later found at the site.
According to the investigation, Russian forces used Su-34 bombers to launch three UMPB D-30SN guided bombs at the hypermarket.
The SBU identified Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, commander of Russia's North military group, as the official who ordered the strike. His chief of staff, Lieutenant General Valery Solodchuk, planned out the attack, according to the SBU.
Three more officers were allegedly involved in the planning and execution:
- Lieutenant General Oleg Makovetsky, commander of the 6th Army of the Russian Air Force;
- Major General Yury Podoplelov, chief of staff of the 6th Army of the Russian Air Force;
- Colonel Alexey Loboda, commander of the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
The SBU charged all five officers in absentia with violating the laws and customs of war, resulting in loss of life, committed by prior conspiracy.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city located just over 20 kilometers from the Russian border, remains particularly vulnerable to Russia's guided bombs. Due to the city's proximity to Russia, Russian aircraft can strike at Kharkiv from within their own airspace.
