The Security Service of Ukraine in the Sumy region, under the procedural guidance of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office (RPO), has issued notices of suspicion to eight Russian commanders of different levels for their involvement in attacks against the city of Sumy. Global Rights Compliance (GRC) has supported the Sumy RPO throughout the pre-trial investigation of the artillery attacks, providing legal research and collecting and analysing information from open sources.
On 2 June 2025 at 10 a.m., the RF Armed Forces launched an attack on residential areas in the northern part of the city of Sumy, resulting in injuries to two civilians and causing significant damage to private homes and civilian infrastructure.
RF Armed Forces carried out similar types of attacks against civilians and civilian objects in the following days.
Already on 3 June at 9 a.m., the RF Armed Forces carried out another artillery attack. This attack had horrific consequences for civilians: six people, including a child, were killed, and 26 people were injured. Civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, and private cars were damaged, and the shelling also hit the grounds of the city hospital.
On 5 June, there was another attack on the village of Verkhne Pishchane, north of Sumy, which resulted in damage to equipment at a power company.
The investigation established that the attacks were conducted by a rocket artillery battery of the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment, which is part of the ‘North’ Grouping of Forces. The attacks were carried out using a multiple-launch rocket system, BM-21 Grad, from the territory of the RF.
The use of an unguided weapon, the effects of which cannot be limited to a specific target, at long range, against residential areas, constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Investigation identified the chain of commanders who were involved in planning, coordinating, and ordering the attacks:
Colonel General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin , the Commander of the ‘North ’ Grouping of Forces;
Major General Sergei Pavlovich Rumshin , temporarily acting Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the ‘North ’ Grouping of Forces;
Lieutenant General Alexander Alexandrovich Kravtsov, Commander of the ‘Kursk’ Grouping of Forces;
Colonel Vitalii Dmitrievich Kulgavyuk, Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the ‘Kursk’ Grouping of Forces;
Colonel Vladimir Nikolaevich Shipitsyn, Commander of the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment;
Lieutenant Colonel Vitalii Alexandrovich Orlov, Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment;
Lieutenant Colonel Damir Zhafyarovich Garnaev, Chief of Artillery of the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment;
Captain Dmitrii Alexandrovich Volobuev, Commander of the Self-Propelled Artillery Battery of the 30th Motorised Rifle Regiment.
GRC Mobile Justice Teams operate as part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed during a full-scale war.