Two notices of suspicion have been issued for high-ranking Russian commanders for ecocide and war crimes stemming from the destruction of the Oskil Dam. The Specialised Environmental Prosecutor’s Office of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office and Ukrainian law enforcement officers are conducting a pre-trial investigation into the commanders’ responsibility for deliberately destroying the dam in the Kharkiv region in September 2022. The suspects are Lieutenant General Oleg Makovetsky, who leads Russia’s 6th Air and Air Defence Army of the Western Military District, and Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army.
Lawyers with GRC’s Environmental Mobile Justice Team have supported this effort by providing advice on the applicable legal framework.
The Oskil Dam’s destruction caused an immense, uncontrolled water release, which damaged the environment and threatened to flood communities located downstream. Under international humanitarian law, dams are protected structures because of the catastrophic risks their destruction can pose. Targeting them can be a war crime. Additionally, when an act causes widespread environmental destruction that results in irreversible harm to ecosystems, Ukraine’s Criminal Code allows for prosecution under the charge of ecocide.
What happened?
In September 2022, as Ukrainian troops were de-occupying the Kharkiv region, Russian forces were retreating across the Oskil River. Ukrainian intelligence suggests that Russian troops deliberately caused a massive water discharge to prevent Ukrainian forces from crossing the river.
According to the pre-trial investigation, Lieutenant General Tsokov’s troops mined and detonated the dam, while Lieutenant General Makovetsky provided air support for Lieutenant General Tsokov’s assault. Together, they launched a sustained attack on the Oskil Dam, deploying powerful bombs, drones, and missiles. The peak of the assault occurred on 12 September 2022, when a powerful explosion breached the dam, releasing an enormous surge of water. The flood devastated nearly 9,000 hectares of what was once a thriving reservoir, wiping out entire aquatic ecosystems.
The destruction did not stop there. The floodwaters gushed downstream, reaching the “Sviati Hory” (Holy Mountains) National Nature Park in the Donetsk region—one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable and unique natural areas. The park is home to rare plant and animal species, including ancient chalk pine forests protected under international law. The sudden change in water levels put the entire Sviati Hory ecosystem at risk.
Donna Cline, Lead of the Environment Mobile Justice Team at Global Rights Compliance, noted the significance of this development: “These two notices of suspicion set an important precedent in the fight against impunity for war-related environmental damage. The SEPO investigators and prosecutors on this case are at the forefront of a global effort to close the impunity gap for ecocide and war crimes that harm our environment.”
“The destruction of the Oskil Dam is not just an attack on infrastructure—it’s an attack on entire ecosystems. Holding those responsible accountable for ecocide is essential, not only for justice but to send a clear message: deliberate environmental destruction in war will not go unpunished,” added Nataliia Pavlovych, Legal Adviser and Deputy Team Lead of the Environment MJT at Global Rights Compliance.
Issuing these notices of suspicion is a significant step forward in seeking to hold Russian military leadership accountable for deliberate attacks on critical infrastructure and the environment. The investigation is ongoing, with accountability for environmental destruction resulting from war crimes remaining a top priority.
Photo: Maria Solodovnik/Suspilne Kharkiv.