Involved in shelling a bread line and killing 20 people in Chernihiv: the case of three Russian commanders sent to court
Kyiv • UNN
Prosecutors have sent an indictment to court against three Russian commanders accused of violating the laws and customs of war. They are accused of the deaths of 20 and injuries of 28 people as a result of the shelling of Chernihiv on March 16, 2022.
The case of three Russian commanders involved in the deaths of 20 people in Chernihiv has been sent to court. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, according to UNN.
Prosecutors... sent an indictment to the court against the commander of the 35th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 41st combined arms army of the Central Military District of the Russian Armed Forces and two subordinate commanders of battalion tactical groups. They are accused of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Details
As reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, on the morning of March 16, 2022, the accused, executing a plan developed by the higher military leadership of Russia to encircle and occupy, issued combat orders to units to use MLRS "Grad" against civilians and civilian objects.
At that time, local residents gathered near the store to buy food. As a result of the strike, 20 people died, and another 28 were injured to varying degrees of severity. The store premises, apartment buildings, and civilian infrastructure were damaged.
There were no military facilities near the strike site, which indicates a deliberate attack on civilians with the aim of intimidation and terror. International humanitarian law stipulates that civilian infrastructure and civilians cannot be targets of attack, the prosecutors emphasized.
The Prosecutor General's Office reminded that the occupiers were notified of suspicion in July 2025.
Under the procedural guidance of the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being carried out by the SBU in Chernihiv Oblast.
It should be noted that assistance in identifying those involved in the war crime of the aggressor state was provided by NGOs "Truth Hounds" and "Global Rights Compliance", which specialize in documenting war crimes.