KYIV: Ukraine’s prosecutor general said on Tuesday (Sep 10) that Kyiv suspected a senior Russian air force commander of ordering a missile strike on a children’s hospital in central Kyiv in July that killed two people and caused extensive damage.
Shortly after the announcement, Ukraine’s SBU security service identified the suspect as Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, who it said was the commander of Russia’s long-range aviation forces at the time of the attack.
It said in a statement he had since been promoted to head the air force.
In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Kobylash, saying at that time that he was suspected of war crimes including ordering strikes on Ukraine’s energy system.
Russia denies carrying out war crimes in Ukraine and says it does not target civilians.
“We are continuing the investigation to find other people responsible for the strike on Okhmatdyt,” Kostin told reporters, referring to the hospital.
He stood outside the damaged clinic beside ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who is visiting Kyiv.
According to Kostin, the commander ordered the firing of a Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile from a Russian bomber on Jul 8, the day of the strike.
Khan added that it appeared from various sources that a Kh-101 missile has been identified.
“It does seem from a number of sources and the work that’s been done that a missile, a Kh-101 cruise missile, has been identified,” Khan said. “A number of factors have to be looked into further.”
Source: CNA
