Ukraine indicts Russian general over missile strike on Skovoroda museum
Ukrainian prosecutors have approved an in-absentia indictment of Russian Lieutenant General Oleh Makovetsky over the missile strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka. The May 2022 attack destroyed the museum's roof and ceiling, damaged part of its collection and left the building unsafe to use.
Key points
- The indictment alleges that Makovetsky ordered the strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka.
- The attack took place on May 6, 2022, at 23:30, when a Su-35C fired an X-35 anti-ship missile over Kharkiv Oblast.
- A civilian guard was injured in the attack.
- The museum's roof and ceiling were destroyed, while walls, windows, doors, engineering systems and part of the exhibition were damaged.
- The indictment was approved on October 23, 2026, under Articles 28 and 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
- Makovetsky faces eight to 12 years in prison if convicted.
- By September 2026, 2,161 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites had been damaged or destroyed, including 104 on UNESCO World Heritage List territories.
Why it matters
The indictment assigns criminal responsibility for a deliberate strike on a cultural heritage site protected under international humanitarian law. It links the attack to the military chain of command, while cases against two subordinate commanders have also been sent to court. The museum and its collection suffered lasting damage, and the case is part of a broader pattern of destruction affecting Ukraine's cultural heritage.
What happened
Ukrainian prosecutors approved an in-absentia indictment of Russian Lieutenant General Oleh Makovetsky on October 23, 2026. According to investigators, Makovetsky, then commander of the Russian 6th Army, ordered the commander of the 105th Aviation Division to attack the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum no later than May 6, 2022. The order was passed through the aviation division commander to the commander of a fighter aviation regiment.
At 23:30 on May 6, a Su-35C attacked the museum in the village of Skovorodynivka with an X-35 anti-ship missile. The roof and ceiling were destroyed, and the walls, windows, doors, engineering systems and part of the exhibition were damaged. A civilian guard was injured, and the building was left in an emergency condition that made safe use impossible.
Investigators said that Makovetsky acted in advance agreement with others and deliberately targeted a protected cultural heritage site while knowing it was not a military objective. The indictment alleges violations of the laws and customs of war committed in advance agreement by a group of persons under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. The accused faces eight to 12 years in prison.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the prosecutorial charge, the legal articles cited, the potential sentence and the investigation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine. It also presents the strike as an intentional attack on a protected civilian and cultural heritage site connected with Hryhorii Skovoroda, placing it within the wider destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree over the fate of the civilian guard: most reports describe the person as injured, while one says the guard was killed. One account also dates the missile impact to September 2022 rather than confirming the reported details of the May 2022 attack.
Background
The museum is housed in an 18th-century estate associated with the final years of Hryhorii Skovoroda's life and his first burial. Since August 2024, it has been available to visit online. By September 2026, 104 damaged or destroyed cultural heritage sites were located on UNESCO World Heritage List territories: 44 in Odesa, 58 in Lviv, one in Kyiv and one in the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.