Justiça_emblem approves charges against Russian general for attack on Skovoroda Museum
Ukrainian prosecutors approved an indictment against Russian Lieutenant General Oleh Makovetskyi, accused of ordering the May 2022 missile strike on the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka, Kharkiv region. The museum was severely damaged and remains unsafe to operate, while related cases against commanders who received and passed on the order have already gone to court.
Pontos principais
- The indictment against Oleh Makovetskyi was approved on October 23, 2026.
- Makovetskyi allegedly ordered the attack no later than May 6, 2022.
- A Russian Su-35C struck the museum with an X-35 missile at 11:30 p.m. on May 6.
- The roof and ceiling were destroyed, and walls, windows, doors, utilities and part of the exhibition were damaged.
- Makovetskyi faces 8 to 12 years in prison under articles 438 and 28 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
- The museum building is in an emergency condition and cannot be operated safely.
- Ukraine recorded 2,161 damaged or destroyed cultural heritage sites as of September 2026.
Por que importa
The case seeks accountability for a senior Russian commander accused of directing a missile strike against a civilian cultural site. It also illustrates the broader destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage: the museum's building cannot be used safely, and 104 damaged or destroyed sites were located in UNESCO World Heritage areas as of September 2026.
O que aconteceu
Ukrainian authorities are prosecuting Russian Lieutenant General Oleh Makovetskyi, a native of Chuhuiv, in absentia for ordering the attack on the National Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary and Memorial Museum in Skovorodynivka. Investigators said Makovetskyi, then commander of the 6th Army of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Air Defense of the Western Military District, knowingly targeted a site that was not a military objective and acted in advance agreement with other people. The order was passed to the commander of the 105th Aviation Division and then to the commander of a fighter aviation regiment. On May 6, 2022, at 11:30 p.m., a Russian Su-35C fired an X-35 anti-ship missile at the museum from Kharkiv Oblast. The strike destroyed the roof and ceiling and damaged the building's walls, windows, doors, utilities and part of the exhibition. Prosecutors approved the indictment on October 23, 2026, while cases against the commanders who received and passed on the order have already been sent to court.
O que dizem as fontes ucranianas
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes that Makovetskyi was born in Chuhuiv and that investigators allege the attack deliberately targeted a non-military cultural site. Coverage also places the case within the documented destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage and identifies the investigators and prosecutors handling it.
Onde as versões divergem
Ukrainian sources disagree about the outcome for the civilian guard: most state that the person was injured, while one report says the civilian died.
Contexto
The museum occupies an 18th-century estate associated with the final years of Hryhorii Skovoroda's life and his first burial. The missile strike occurred on May 6, 2022. Since August 2024, the museum has been available for online visits despite the physical damage.