Ukraine charges Russian Black Sea Fleet commander in absentia over 2024 Kyiv apartment strike
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has served an in absentia notice of suspicion on Admiral Serhiy Pinchuk, commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, for ordering a cruise missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv on 8 July 2024 that killed 13 people including five children. Investigators say the attack was carried out with ten 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the frigate Admiral Makarov and the submarine B-261 Veliky Novgorod in the Black Sea.
Key points
- Ukraine served an in absentia notice of suspicion on Russian Admiral Serhiy Pinchuk, commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
- Pinchuk is accused of ordering the 8 July 2024 strike on a Kyiv apartment building.
- The attack used ten 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the frigate Admiral Makarov and the submarine B-261 Veliky Novgorod in the Black Sea.
- 13 people were killed, including five children; one entrance of the residential building was completely destroyed.
- Pinchuk is charged under Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder by a group acting in advance).
- The SBU says the strike violated Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in wartime.
- Pinchuk is reported to be on Russian territory; the SBU says it is pursuing measures to hold him and his accomplices accountable.
Why it matters
The in absentia charge against a senior Russian naval commander ties a specific deadly strike on a civilian target to an individual decision-maker, rather than to an abstract Russian 'forces'. It documents the named vessels used and frames the attack as a war crime under both Ukrainian criminal law and the Geneva Conventions, adding another entry to Ukraine's record of war-crimes proceedings against Russian military leadership. The civilian toll — five of the thirteen killed were children — underscores why the strike has been pursued as a criminal matter.
What happened
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced that investigators had served an in absentia notice of suspicion on Admiral Serhiy Pinchuk, identified as commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, for ordering a cruise missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv on 8 July 2024. According to the investigation, the attack used ten 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the frigate Admiral Makarov and the submarine B-261 Veliky Novgorod in the Black Sea. One entrance of the apartment building was completely destroyed, and 13 residents were killed, including five children.
Investigators say the strike was carried out on the basis of a combat order signed by Pinchuk. They notified him in absentia of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which covers violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder committed by a group acting in advance. The SBU also characterised the attack as a violation of Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilian persons in time of war. The investigation is being conducted by SBU officers in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.
Pinchuk is reported to be on Russian territory, and the SBU says comprehensive measures are ongoing to bring him and his accomplices to accountability for war crimes against Ukraine.
Background
The 8 July 2024 strike was part of a large Russian missile attack on Ukraine. In Kyiv alone, damage was recorded in seven districts and 33 people were killed citywide on that day; in the Shevchenkivskyi district, two floors of a building at the Okhmatdyt children's hospital and an entrance of a residential high-rise were destroyed. The charges against Pinchuk reference both Ukrainian Criminal Code provisions on violations of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder and Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Ukrainian authorities have stated that ongoing efforts are being made to bring Pinchuk and his accomplices to accountability.