Tuesday, 25 July ‘23

Russian Admiral Issued Suspicion for Vinnytsia Shelling 

Investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) issued a suspicion in absentia on July 12 against Russian admiral Igor Osipov for the shelling of Ukraine’s central city of Vinnytsia in violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of the criminal code). 

According to the SBU, on July 14, 2022, on Osipov’s orders, Kalibr missiles were fired from a Russian warship based near the Fiolent Cape, in the south of the occupied peninsula of Crimea. As a result of the shelling 29 civilians, including three children, were killed, 154 people were injured and 35 residential buildings were destroyed. 

The suspicion is Osipov's second. In December 2022, the admiral was informed in absentia of suspicion for organising systematic missile strikes from the Black Sea on  densely populated Ukrainian areas. He was reported in absentia for planning, preparing, unleashing and waging an aggressive war (Part 2 of Article 437 of the criminal code) and of encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Part 3 of Article 110 of the criminal code).

SBU Identifies 14 Russian Soldiers Over Kherson Violence 

Fourteen Russian soldiers were reported in absentia for dispersing rallies against the Russian occupation of the southern port city of Kherson in violation of the laws and customs of war,  for ordering and executing cruel treatment of the civilian population by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of the criminal code).

SBU investigators in Kherson region identified the servicemen as belonging to the 50th separate operational brigade (military unit No. 3660). They are the brigade’s commander Mykhail Kalupin, his deputies Hryhoriy Zana and Dmitriy Gaponov, commanders of units Dmitriy Peshakov and Aleksandr Naumenko, and their subordinates - Rinat Dzhiganov, Eduard Danylenko, Adil Mirzaliev, Mirkhan Dusengaliyev, Naidan Kuular, Vladyslav Masol, Aleksandr Unegov, Salman Sovbanov and Sergey Turyshev.

According to the investigation, between March 5 and April 27, 2022, the suspects dispersed peaceful rallies organised in the city against the occupation. The servicemen used firearms, rubber batons, light, noise and smoke grenades and tear gas: at least ten protestors were detained in the seized building of the temporary detention centre and several were taken to the Simferopol pre-trial detention centre in Crimea, where they are still held. 

Russian POW’s Detention Extended While Awaiting Trial

A court in Irpin, in Kyiv region, extended by 60 days the preventive detention of Russian paratrooper Andrey Medvedev, as the first hearing in the case against him has yet to take place. 

The 33-year-old corporal is accused of cruel treatment of civilian residents of the town of Irpin in March 2022, in violation of the laws and customs of war based on a prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Part 1 of Article 438, Part 2 of Article 28 of the criminal code). If convicted, the paratrooper faces up to 12 years in prison. 

His case has passed the preparatory stage and is scheduled for trial. On June 20 and July 18, the trial was postponed due to the absence of his defence lawyer, assigned from Ukraine’s Free Legal Aid Centre. On July 18 the court decided to assign Medvedev another defence lawyer. 

The extension means Medvedev will remain in Kyiv’s pre-trial detention centre until September 15.