The Security Service of Ukraine established the chronology of crimes committed by the Russian Federation against the civilian population at key life support facilities in the Kherson Region: the Kakhovskaya HPP and the North Crimean Canal.
Two servicemen of the Russian Federation who gave criminal orders have been identified.
These are the deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation for logistics, Major General Mikhail Yasnikov, and the commander of the 11th separate engineering brigade, Colonel Dmitry Markov. They directly commanded the seizure of the Kakhovskaya HPP and the blowing up of the North Crimean Canal.
Their actions negatively affected the water supply of the region, the functioning of the irrigation system of the Kherson region, caused significant damage to the environment and substantial material losses to Ukraine.
According to the SBU materials, the attackers are suspected of violating the laws and customs of war.
In the course of investigative and operational actions, it was established that on February 24, the military of the Russian Federation of the Russian Federation using heavy weapons:
- seized the administrative buildings and facilities of the Kakhovskaya HPP and took the personnel hostage;
- made it impossible for the hydroelectric power station to function normally;
- destroyed the road bridge, depriving the object of vital logistics;
- carried out a series of detonations of the structures of the North Crimean Canal to supply Dnieper water to the temporarily occupied Crimea.
The SBU investigators found that Major General Yasnikov ordered the illegal seizure of both critical infrastructure facilities. And Colonel Markov was in charge of the detonations.
Currently, the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings initiated under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has been completed:
- Part 1 of Art. 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war);
- Part 2 of Art. 28 (commitment of a criminal offense by a group of persons based on a prior conspiracy).
The indictment was sent to the Zhovtnevy District Court of Kryvyi Rih.
Measures to expose a war crime committed by the Russian military were carried out by employees of the SBU Office in the Kherson region under the procedural guidance of the Kherson regional prosecutor's office.
