Ukraine charges Russian colonel for museum airstrike
Ukraine’s SBU security service has compiled evidence and announced suspicion against Russian Colonel Ivan Panchenko, accusing him of ordering an airstrike on the National Museum of Hryhorii Skovoroda in Kharkiv Oblast, the SBU said on Telegram on July 4.
Colonel Panchenko commands the 159th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces, the SBU said.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale war, Panchenko has been implicated in organizing and executing airstrikes on civilian targets across Ukraine. During the attack on the Skovoroda museum, Russian forces employed a Su-35S multi-role fighter jet, which fired a turbojet anti-ship missile of the Kh-35 type at the memorial complex, causing severe damage, including the complete destruction of the museum building and serious injuries to one staff member.
The Russian colonel currently continues to command aviation strikes in various Ukrainian oblasts. He has been informally notified of suspicions under Article 28 Part 2 and Article 438 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of laws and customs of war, acting upon orders to commit such acts). Panchenko faces up to 12 years in prison in Ukraine.
The attack occurred on May 7, 2022, when Russian forces shelled the National Literary and Memorial Museum honoring the prominent Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda, located in the village of Skovorodynivka in Kharkiv Oblast.
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