The Vice Admiral is accused of ordering the shelling of a residential building on July 8, 2024
The Main Directorate of the SBU in Kyiv and Kyiv Region has served a notice of suspicion to the commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the russian federation, Sergey Pinchuk. He is accused of involvement in a missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv that resulted in the deaths of 13 people. This was reported by Book of Torturers, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Investigators established that during a massive attack on July 8, 2024, a russian 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missile, launched from the Black Sea, struck a five-story building at 19 Salskoho Street in the capital’s Shevchenkivskyi district. As a result of the direct hit, one of the building’s entrances was completely destroyed, and 13 civilians were killed.
According to law enforcement, Vice Admiral Sergey Pinchuk issued the order to use weaponry against residential infrastructure after receiving directives from the Main Staff of the Russian Navy. It is reported that the missile launches were conducted from the Admiral Makarov frigate and the Veliky Novgorod submarine.
Personal Responsibility of the Commander
The investigation indicates that the suspect was clearly aware of the civilian status of the target and the potential threat to human life, yet he continued to personally oversee the operation. According to the case materials, Pinchuk is currently charged with violating the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder, under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
For the 55-year-old Sevastopol native, this is at least the sixth notice of suspicion issued within the framework of criminal proceedings regarding war crimes committed by the russian federation. Previously, he was suspected of involvement in strikes on the village of Hroza, the Flex plant in Mukachevo, and Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout 2022-2023, as well as the seizure of the rescue ship Sappfir.
Legal Consequences of Aggression
The criminal proceeding regarding the shelling of the building in Kyiv was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations on July 8, 2024, under number 22024101110000513. Under international humanitarian law, deliberate attacks on civilian objects are classified as war crimes.
The systematic actions of the Black Sea Fleet commander in deploying subordinate forces that led to significant casualties among Ukrainians are being investigated by the SBU. The investigation continues to collect evidence to hold those responsible accountable for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Photo: Михайло Криволапов
