The Security Service of Ukraine in the Sumy region, under the prosecutorial supervision of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, has issued notices of suspicion to eight Russian commanders inconnection with the missile attacks on the centre of Sumy on Palm Sunday, which killed 35 people.
13 April marks one year since one of the largest and deadliest Russian attacks on the city of Sumy.
On this day last year, as Ukrainians were celebrating Palm Sunday – a religious holiday preceding Easter – Russian forces launched two missile strikes on the city centre using Iskander-M ballistic missiles. The attacks occurred in the morning, targeting a densely populated civilian area and a district with many historical and cultural buildings. A second strike proved particularly deadly, resulting in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
The attack killed 35 civilians and injured 125 others, making it one of the highest civilian death tolls in Sumy since the beginning of the full-scale war. Among the victims was Olena Kohut, a well-known Sumy artist, orchestra musician, and music teacher. The attack is also widely remembered for the horrific image of a burning bus, in which 16 civilians lost their lives.
The strike caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, educational institutions, administrative premises, cultural and religious sites. Among the damaged sites were the Institute of Applied Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Sukhanov–Sumovskyi Estate, both of which are considered part of the city’s historical heritage.
“Notices of suspicion have been issued against six senior commanders of the armed forces of the Russian Federation for war crimes, namely for planning, coordinating, and ordering the attack on the centre of Sumy on Palm Sunday last year. Even though the attack was allegedly aimed at UA servicemen, these commanders knew that civilian injury, death and destruction was inevitable and grossly disproportionate to any military aim. The evidence shows that these commanders bear the greatest responsibility for these acts. They were at best indifferent to this harm and they should be held responsible for these war crimes” – reacts Wayne Jordash KC, President of the Global Rights Compliance.
Despite claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin and statements published by the Russian Ministry of Defence that the strike targeted “those who committed crimes in Kursk Oblast” and eliminated “more than sixty servicemen,” available evidence indicates that no concrete military advantage was achieved. Instead, the attack resulted in significant civilian harm.
Vitalii Dovhal, the Head of the War Crime Unit of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, commented on the case:
“This investigation required extensive evidence collection, numerous expert examinations, and close cooperation with international partners. As a result, we have identified eight senior Russian military commanders responsible for the missile strike on Sumy. Despite the scale and complexity of this case, we remain committed to ensuring accountability.”
The Security Service of Ukraine in the Sumy region, under the prosecutorial supervision of the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office, has issued the notices of suspicion to eight Russian commanders. According to the investigation, senior officials of the Joint Grouping of Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, including members of the Centre for Joint Planning and Coordination of Fire Engagement, were involved in planning, coordinating, and ordering the strike carried out by the 448th Missile Brigade of the 20th Combined Arms Army and the 112th Missile Brigade of the 1st Tank Army.
Those suspected include:
- Colonel General Aleksey Kim, Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces of RFAF (JGF)
- Colonel Vasiliy Solovyov, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence – Chief of Intelligence of the JGF
- Vice Admiral Sergey Pinchuk, Head of the Centre for Joint Planning and Coordination of Fire Engagement – Deputy Commander of the JGF (Fire Engagement)
- Rear Admiral Aleksey Petrushin, Head of Intelligence (Enemy Fire Engagement) of the Center for Joint Planning and Coordination of Fire Engagement
- Colonel Oleksandr Kisedobrev, Head of Missile Forces and Artillery of the JGF
- Colonel Anatolii Horodetskyi, Chief of Staff – Deputy Head of Missile Forces and Artillery of the JGF
- Colonel Roman Polushin, Commander of the 448th Missile Brigade
- Colonel Sergey Ponomarev, Commander of the 112th Missile Brigade
The attack demonstrates clear violations of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Global Rights Compliance has provided legal support to the Sumy Regional Prosecutor’s Office in the investigation of the Palm Sunday attack. GRC’s lawyers and military specialists have conducted a comprehensive legal and military analysis of the circumstances of the strike, supported by open-source research. GRC has therefore contributed to ensuring the correct legal qualification of the attack, identifying evidentiary gaps, and determining the potential liability of Russian commanders involved in the attack.
GRC MJTs 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.
Anna Nekrasova, North Region Mobile Justice Team, Deputy Lead, Global Rights Compliance:
“What is critical in cases like this is the correct legal qualification of the attack, to distinguish between different types of unlawful attacks and assess them against the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution. This is necessary to ensure that accountability is both credible and legally sound.”
Dušan Jovanović, North Region Mobile Justice Team Lead, Global Rights Compliance:
“This case reflects the exceptional work of Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors, who have built a strong, evidence-based case under challenging circumstances. Working with large volumes of evidence, analysing complex military structures, and reconstructing decision-making processes across multiple levels of command required a high degree of expertise and persistence. Their professionalism has been essential in advancing this case.”