The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has accused Russian Colonel General Aleksey Kim of ordering a ballistic missile strike on the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, which housed journalists from the Reuters news agency, reports RBC-Ukraine, citing its sources in the security agency.
The SBU has emerged as a crucial lethal force in Kyiv’s efforts to neutralize adversaries, particularly in the context of the ongoing war with Russia. The agency has expanded its operational scope from domestic affairs, engaging in targeted operations that include the elimination of high-profile Russian military leaders and collaborators within Ukraine and Russia.
The attack on the Kramatorsk Hotel, which occurred on 24 August 2024, resulted in the death of one Reuters journalist and injured five of his colleagues. Additionally, five other civilians were wounded in the strike.
4 Reuters journalists injured in Russian attack on Kramatorsk
SBU investigators identified Aleksey Kim, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, as the official who authorized the missile attack. A missile unit under Kim’s command carried out the operation.
According to the SBU, the strike targeted a civilian building, violating international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on non-military structures.
Kim has been charged under the following articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code:
- Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 437: Waging an aggressive war.
- Part 2 of Article 438: Violating the laws and customs of war.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office is overseeing efforts to bring Kim to justice.
“Every Russian war criminal will be found and punished,” the SBU stated.
Earlier, a Russian general, Igor Kirrilov, responsible for chemical attacks against Ukrainian forces, was assassinated in Moscow one day after the SBU formally charged him in absentia.
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