The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has formally notified a russian Black Sea Fleet officer of suspicion for war crimes over his role in coordinating mass drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure, which caused billions of hryvnias in damage and left millions of Ukrainians without electricity.

What is known about the suspect

Oleksandr Herasymchuk, born on March 23, 1985, is a native of the russian city of Arsenyev in Primorsky Krai. Since November 2023, he has served as deputy commander of a coastal missile division of the 15th Separate Coastal Missile Brigade of the russian Black Sea Fleet. The unit is based in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.

Holding the rank of major, Herasymchuk was responsible for the combat readiness of the unit and for commanding subordinate personnel during combat operations. His duties included overseeing daily service and ensuring the execution of combat missions.

The brigade is equipped with Bastion, Bastion-M and Bal coastal missile systems, as well as Shahed-136 attack drones, which Russia designates as Geran-2.

Criminal activity

According to the investigation, from November 2023 to April 2024 Herasymchuk was directly involved in implementing a criminal plan devised by russia’s top military leadership. The plan involved systematic large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure to intimidate the population and create intolerable living conditions.

Operating from the Balaklava district of occupied Sevastopol, the officer received operational orders from his superiors containing specific coordinates of civilian targets to be hit. Investigators have established his involvement in several high-profile attacks, including:

• On February 27, 2024, at around 22:42, Shahed-136 drones struck critical infrastructure facilities at the Odesnaftoprodukt oil terminal in Odesa, causing significant damage.
• On March 23, 2024, at 03:10, drones attacked the Ferosplavna 330 kV substation in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region.
• On March 24, 2024, at 02:50, another strike hit the Kryvorizka 330 kV substation in Kryvyi Rih.
• On April 11, 2024, simultaneous attacks were carried out at 04:49 on the Bilche-Volytsia gas compressor station in Lviv region and at 04:47 on the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant in Kyiv region. Both facilities suffered heavy damage.

Herasymchuk and his superiors were fully aware that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is protected under international humanitarian law. Such facilities are vital to the survival of the civilian population and are strictly prohibited targets under the laws of war.

Civilian energy facilities are not military objectives, do not provide a military advantage, and are not used for military purposes. Despite this, the russian officer agreed to carry out manifestly illegal orders to attack civilian infrastructure.

Charges

Herasymchuk has been served with a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers violations of the laws and customs of war, including issuing orders to commit such acts as part of a group conspiracy.

Investigators say his actions, carried out in coordination with russia’s military command, led to the destruction of key elements of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and triggered severe disruptions to electricity supplies for the civilian population.