Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have charged the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army and First Deputy Defense Minister General Valery Gerasimov with war crimes that led to the deaths of civilians, Ukrinform reported, BTA reported.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Prosecutor General's Office reported that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Gerasimov has issued orders for combined missile and air strikes against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Investigators allege Gerasimov personally commanded the large-scale Russian attack on Kiev on the night of July 2, 2026, when Russian forces used about 570 weapons, including strike drones and hypersonic and ballistic missiles "Zircon" and "Iskander-M".
According to the SSU, over 100 people were injured in the attack, of whom 70 were hospitalized. Significant damage was also caused to more than 20 residential buildings in different parts of Kiev.
The Ukrainian authorities stated that they were taking action to bring him to criminal responsibility, while he himself remains on the territory of Russia.
The SSU recalled that in June 2024, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Gerasimov on charges of war crimes against civilians in Ukraine. The charges relate to his direct involvement in Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in 2022 and 2023.
According to Ukrainian authorities, 30 people were killed in the Russian attack on Kiev on July 2, with damage reported in all areas of the city.