KIEV (Askume) – Ukraine’s prosecutor general said on Tuesday that Kiev suspects a senior Russian air force commander was behind a missile attack on a children’s hospital in central Kiev that killed two people.
Shortly after the news was announced, Ukraine’s SBU security service identified the suspect as Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, who was the commander of Russia’s long-range aviation forces at the time of the attack.
He has been promoted to the post of Chief of Staff of the Air Force, a statement said.
In March this year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Kobylash, saying he was suspected of war crimes including ordering attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
Russia has denied committing war crimes in Ukraine and says it did not target civilians.
“We are continuing our investigation to locate other individuals responsible for the attack in Ohmadit,” Costin told reporters, referring to the hospital.
He stood outside the damaged clinic next to International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan, who was visiting Kyiv.
According to Kostin, on 8 July, the day of the attack, commanders ordered the launch of a Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile from a Russian bomber.
Khan said multiple sources have indicated that the KH-101 missile has been identified.
“From multiple sources and the work that has been done, it appears that one missile has been identified, a Kh-101 cruise missile,” Khan said.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for six Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova were convicted by a court last year over the illegal deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Russia has rejected the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for war crimes as part of a biased Western campaign to discredit Russia.
Russian officials also said such a search warrant would have little real-world impact because Moscow is not a member of the court, nor are other powers such as the United States and China.
Kostin is leading Ukraine’s prosecution against Russian forces for alleged war crimes, with more than 140,000 cases currently under investigation.
Khan urged those involved in the war in Ukraine and other conflicts to obey the law.
“Every leader, every pilot, every soldier – every individual can choose whether to obey the law or join the infamous list of those arrested for crimes against humanity or war crimes,” he said.
