Ukrainian prosecutors charge Russian general over missile strike on Skovoroda museum
Ukrainian prosecutors have approved an indictment against Russian Lieutenant General Oleg Makovetskyi over the 6 May 2022 missile strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka, Kharkiv region. He is accused of ordering the attack on a civilian cultural site and faces eight to 12 years in prison if convicted.
Pontos principais
- The indictment against Oleg Makovetskyi was approved on 23 October 2026.
- He is accused of ordering a missile strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum no later than 6 May 2022.
- A Russian Su-35C fired an X-35 anti-ship missile at the museum at 23:30 on 6 May 2022.
- The attack destroyed the museum's roof and ceiling and damaged walls, windows, doors, utilities and part of the exhibition.
- The building remains unsafe to use; the museum has offered online visits since August 2024.
- Makovetskyi faces eight to 12 years in prison.
- By September 2026, Russian military action had damaged or destroyed 2,161 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites.
Porque é importante
The case brings accountability for an alleged deliberate missile strike on a civilian cultural site at the level of a senior Russian commander. It also highlights the destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage and the serious damage that has left the museum building unsafe to operate.
O que aconteceu
Ukrainian prosecutors approved an indictment against Russian Lieutenant General Oleg Makovetskyi on 23 October 2026 for violating Ukrainian laws and customs of war through a prior agreement by a group of people. The alleged offence concerns the missile strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka in Kharkiv region. According to the investigators, Makovetskyi, then commander of the 6th Army of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Air Defence of the Western Military District, ordered the attack no later than 6 May 2022, knowing the museum was not a military target. The order was passed through the commanders of the 105th Aviation Division and a fighter aviation regiment.
Como o descrevem as fontes ucranianas
Ukrainian reporting stresses the alleged deliberate targeting of a non-military cultural site, the destruction of the museum and the personal connection of Makovetskyi, a native of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv region. Authorities also present the case as part of the documented damage caused to Ukraine's cultural heritage.
Onde as versões divergem
The supplied accounts differ over the fate of the civilian guard: some report that the person was injured, while another states that a civilian died.
Contexto
The museum occupies an eighteenth-century estate associated with the final years of Hryhorii Skovoroda's life and his first burial. The strike took place on 6 May 2022, when a Russian Su-35C aircraft fired an X-35 anti-ship missile at the museum from Kharkiv region. Since August 2024, visitors have been able to tour the museum online despite the physical damage.