The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against two russian military officials involved in the missile strikes on Reuters journalists in the Donetsk region and the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv.

According to the investigation, one of the suspects is russian major-general Nikolai Varpakhovich – commander of the 22nd heavy bomber aviation division of the russian armed forces.

On 8 July 2024, the officer issued a combat order to carry out a missile strike on the Okhmatdyt National Specialised Children’s Hospital in Kyiv.

At that time, long-range aviation units under Varpakhovich’s command carried out a precision strike on the hospital using an Kh-101 air-to-surface cruise missile, which was launched from a russian Tu-95MS missile-carrying bomber.

At the time of the attack, there were over 600 patients in the hospital. Two people were killed, including a doctor, and dozens more were injured. The missile completely destroyed the toxicology wing and damaged a further four buildings where surgical operations were being carried out and children with cancer were being treated.

Another enemy official implicated is russian colonel Aleksandr Lutovinov – commander of the missile brigade of the 49th combined arms army of russia’s southern military district.

According to the investigation, he organised the missile strike on the Sapphire hotel complex in Kramatorsk on 24 August 2024.

As a result of this attack, a security adviser to the international news agency Reuters was killed and five of his colleagues sustained injuries of varying severity.

The decision to carry out the strike was taken by colonel-general Aleksey Kim, deputy chief of the general staff of the russian armed forces, whom the SSU has already declared a suspect in absentia.

In line with his criminal order, Lutovinov directly ordered his subordinates to launch an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the Rostov region, russia.

Investigators of the SSU Main Investigative Directorate have notified Varpakhovich and Lutovinov in absentia of their status as suspects under Article 438.2 of the CCU (war crimes resulting in the loss of life).

Efforts to bring them to justice are underway.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.