The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in coordination with the Prosecutor General’s Office, has launched criminal proceedings against General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, on suspicion of committing war crimes.
According to the SBU, investigators established Gerasimov’s direct involvement in planning and organizing missile and aviation strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. The charges specifically cite Thursday’s aerial attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region.
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The investigation says that military units under Gerasimov’s command conduct attacks using strategic bombers, missile-carrying ships, and ground-based operational-tactical missile systems.
The strikes utilized Kh-type, Kinzhal, Kalibr, Iskander, and Zircon missiles, as well as Shahed/Geran long-range attack drones.
According to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, Russian strikes on civilian objects constitute a direct violation of Articles 51 and 52 of Additional Protocol I.
Based on documented evidence, SBU investigators are conducting the investigation under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers violations of the laws and customs of war established by international treaties, as well as the issuance of orders to commit such actions.
Who is Valery Gerasimov?
Valery Gerasimov has served as the chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces and first deputy minister of defense since November 2012.
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Gerasimov began his career as a tank platoon commander in the Soviet Army and later held command roles during the Second Chechen War and the Russian military intervention in Syria.
In January 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense appointed him as the overall commander of the joint group of Russian forces in Ukraine, succeeding General Sergei Surovikin.
However, Gerasimov is currently the subject of international legal action.
On June 25, 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Gerasimov and former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The ICC warrants outline alleged responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically concerning missile strikes directed at Ukrainian electrical infrastructure between October 2022 and March 2023.
July 2 attack on Kyiv
The criminal proceedings follow Russia’s Thursday attacks on Kyiv.
The attack resulted in at least 30 deaths and 99 injuries in the capital, leading to an official day of mourning on Friday.
In Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, a munition struck a nine-story residential building, destroying 64 apartments and killing at least four people inside the structure. Rescue teams extricated 17 residents, pulling seven alive from the debris.
Official data indicates that during the nationwide attack on Thursday, Russian forces launched 74 missiles and 496 strike drones. In Kyiv, the strikes damaged more than 130 sites, including 60 residential buildings, an ambulance station, a research institute, and a hotel.
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