Eight Russian officers involved in Palm Sunday 2025 missile strike on Sumy identified, Kravchenko says
Law enforcement officers have identified eight senior officers of the Russian armed forces involved in the Palm Sunday missile strike on Sumy carried out with Iskander-M ballistic missiles on April 13, 2025, which killed 35 people, including two children.
This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, Censor.NET informs.
Ballistic missile strike on Sumy on Palm Sunday 2025
- On April 13, 2025, Ukrainians were observing Palm Sunday. The enemy clearly understood that it was striking a peaceful city on a religious holiday.
- Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Russia’s Kursk and Voronezh regions claimed the lives of 35 people (including two children), another 125 people were injured (including 22 children).
- The Russians equipped the missiles with high-explosive fragmentation warheads. The enemy deliberately sought to cause mass civilian casualties.
- The strike also destroyed and damaged more than 70 buildings, some of them historical landmarks, as well as 36 cars and a bus. Material losses amount to about UAH 200 million.
Who committed the crime
As the Prosecutor General noted, 130 forensic examinations were carried out.
- The initial order for the attack was initiated and given by Colonel General Oleksii Kim and Colonel Vasyl Solovyov.
- The preparation and coordination were ensured by Vice Admiral Serhii Pinchuk, Colonel Oleksandr Kisiedobiev, Rear Admiral Oleksii Pietrushyn, and Colonel Anatolii Horodetskyi.
- The direct orders to launch the missiles were given by Colonels Roman Polushyn and Serhii Ponomarov.
All eight Russians have been notified in absentia of suspicion of committing war crimes by prior conspiracy as a group of persons, resulting in deaths (under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
How the war criminals were identified
The suspects were identified as a result of joint efforts by prosecutors of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the Security Service of Ukraine, and representatives of the international organization Global Rights Compliance.
"Russian executioners will be identified and brought to justice. Consistently, systematically, to the very end," Kravchenko stressed.
Russian strike on Sumy on April 13
As reported earlier, Russian invaders launched two missile strikes on central Sumy on April 13.
As a result of the attack on the city center, 35 people were killed, including an 11-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy.
