Five Russian commanders will stand trial for ordering the shelling of the Neutron Source nuclear facility in Kharkiv, causing multimillion-dollar damages to Ukraine. According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the court will consider the case against these soldiers on charges of violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as ecocide, committed by a group of persons based on a prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438, Part 2 of Article 28 of Article 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation established that the defendants gave orders to attack the Kharkiv Physical and Technical Institute National Scientific Center, where the unique nuclear subcritical facility “Neutron Source” and the storage of nuclear materials are located. In 2022, 74 targeted strikes were carried out on this object using aerial bombs, artillery shells and cluster munitions of the Grad, Uragan, Smerch and Pion systems.
Among the key figures in the case is the colonel-general, commander of the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, who led the operation. Other defendants include two generals who commanded the 6th General Army and the 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army, as well as colonels who commanded the 45th Artillery Brigade and the 79th Guards Artillery Brigade.
These persons have been declared wanted, and the court proceedings will take place in absentia at the Kyiv District Court of Kharkiv.
According to the results of the examinations, the damage to the environment is estimated at 15 billion hryvnias. Costs for the restoration of the institute’s buildings and the destroyed multimillion-dollar equipment amount to more than 30 million hryvnias.
On the territory of the institute there is the world’s only nuclear installation “Neutron Source”, which works as a subcritical reactor controlled by an accelerator for generating neutrons. This facility is used for scientific research in the field of nuclear physics, materials science, biology, chemistry, as well as for the production of medical radioisotopes.
