Directly involved in open military invasion into Ukraine. Commands units of 439th Rocket Artillery Brigade, allocated to group of Russian troops "South" in Kherson direction. The personnel of 439th Rocket Artillery Brigade subordinated to A. Lapandin was involved in shelling of residential areas in Kherson, Nikolaev and the settlements of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, which caused significant number of casualties among civilians.
On March 12, he was charged under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for an artillery strike on Pokrovsk, which resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to 11 others on February 15, 2023.