Russian top officers charged over strike on Ukraine's largest printing house
Photo: aftermath of the Russian strike on the Faktor-Druk publishing house in Kharkiv (t.me/synegubov)
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has issued in absentia notices of suspicion against Russian generals and a vice admiral who commanded a missile strike on the Faktor-Druk printing house in Kharkiv on May 23, 2024, according to the SBU and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
Cyber specialists, investigators, and military counterintelligence officers of the SBU, together with Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), gathered evidence against top Russian officers who organized the airstrike on Kharkiv on May 23, 2024.
According to the investigation, Russian forces deliberately targeted Ukraine’s largest printing enterprise with three guided missiles from S-300 medium-range air defense systems. As a result of the attack, seven civilians were killed, and more than 20 were injured.
"Faktor-Druk had no military significance. The enterprise printed up to 50 million books, 100 million magazines, and 300 million newspapers annually. As a result of the Russian strike, tens of thousands of books were destroyed, including children’s literature, fiction, and school textbooks," the Prosecutor General’s statement said.
Those responsible for the missile attack
Kravchenko said the decision to carry out the strike was made by the leadership of Russia’s joint group of forces:
- Colonel General Alexey Kim — first deputy commander, who issued the direct operation order;
- Lieutenant General Andrey Tsyganov — head of air and missile defense, who ensured the use of missile systems;
- Vice Admiral Alexander Peshkov — responsible for target selection and coordination of the strike;
- Colonel Sergey Monetov — intelligence chief, who provided data on the target while knowing it was a civilian site.
"The missile launches were carried out by personnel of Special Tactical Missile Group No. 3, formed on the basis of the 568th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the 76th Air Defense Division of the 14th Air Force and Air Defense Army of Russia’s Central Military District," the SBU said.
Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators issued in absentia notices of suspicion to all suspects under Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (violation of the laws and customs of war resulting in deaths). Efforts are ongoing to locate and bring those responsible to justice.
Strike at the Kharkiv printing house
On May 23, 2024, Russian forces launched 15 missiles at Kharkiv and the region. Among the destroyed sites was the Faktor-Druk printing house, which housed a production facility of the Vivat publishing house.
As a result of the attack, seven people were killed, and more than 20 were injured. All the victims were employees of the enterprise. In addition, 50,000 books were destroyed in the fire.
