A Russian Armed Forces major general has been notified of suspicion of organizing Shahed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Tuesday, UNN writes.
Prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, together with the Security Service of Ukraine, notified a Russian Armed Forces major general of suspicion. According to the investigation, he organized and coordinated strikes by Geran-2 (Shahed-136) UAVs on civilian energy facilities in Ukraine
"The Security Service, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General’s Office have gathered evidence against Major General Oleksandr Novikov, head of the Department for the Construction and Development of UAV Systems of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces," the Security Service of Ukraine also added .
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, his involvement was established in attacks on electrical substations in Nikopol district and Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, a compressor station in Lviv region, and a thermal power plant in Kyiv region.
The suspect served as head of the Department for the Construction and Development of UAV Systems of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
In March–April 2024, according to the investigation, he conspired with representatives of the Russian military command to organize the execution of orders to strike Ukraine’s civilian critical infrastructure.
Receiving combat documents specifying targets and coordinates, the major general issued orders to use attack drones, coordinated the actions of the military personnel involved, and monitored the results of the attacks, the Prosecutor General’s Office stated.
According to the investigation, he was aware of the civilian nature of the facilities, but nevertheless facilitated strikes aimed at destroying energy infrastructure and creating crisis conditions for Ukraine’s civilian population.
The major general is charged with violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).