Russian commander who led Iskander strike on Odesa faces war crimes charges
Illustrative photo: SBU announces suspicion against Russian colonel who commanded Iskander strike on Odesa (Getty Images)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced an in-absentia suspicion against a Russian colonel who commanded an Iskander missile strike on Odesa in April 2024, according to the press services of the SBU and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
"The Security Service has gathered evidence against one of the commanders of the Russian Armed Forces who committed a war crime by ordering an airstrike on civilian infrastructure in Odesa on April 29, 2024," the statement reads.
The SBU recalled that as a result of that enemy attack, eight civilians were killed, including a young child. Another 23 people were injured.
According to case materials, the strike was commanded by Russian Colonel Yevgeny Lederer, who at the time headed the 12th Missile Brigade of Russia’s Southern Military District.
According to the investigation, it was he who ordered his subordinates to use ballistic weapons against civilian infrastructure in Odesa. For the attack, the Russian forces used an Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system equipped with a cluster warhead.
The ballistic missile was launched from the area of the village of Novoselivske, located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Within minutes, the warhead detonated in the air over Odesa, and fragments of the missile struck a wide area.
One of Odesa’s recreational zones — a popular leisure spot for local residents — was hit in the strike.
Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators formally notified Lederer in absentia of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (war crimes committed by a group of persons in prior conspiracy). Comprehensive efforts are underway to bring the perpetrator to justice for crimes against Ukraine.
It was previously reported that the Security Service of Ukraine also issued an in-absentia suspicion to Russian Colonel Oleg Skitsky, who commanded a missile strike on civilian targets in Kryvyi Rih.
