The command of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been charged with involvement in organizing strikes on Ukraine and its cultural heritage, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.
The investigation established that the Black Sea Fleet command was involved in a missile strike on Lviv and sites within the UNESCO buffer zone on July 6, 2023. The commander and the chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet — an admiral and a vice admiral — were notified of the suspicion, as they are believed by investigators to have organized and planned the strike.
According to the Presidential Office, the attack was carried out using 3M-14 Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles launched from submarines and surface ships in the Black Sea. As a result, civilians were killed, and the city’s historical heritage was damaged.
Specifically, the strike hit residential areas, killing nine residents, and caused significant damage to houses, vehicles, and civilian infrastructure. The historic part of Lviv was also damaged, with 17 architectural monuments of local significance affected. These facts are being investigated as violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder committed by a group of individuals acting in concert. Measures are currently being taken to declare the suspects wanted and identify other parties involved.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has damaged 1,685 cultural heritage sites, and 16 individuals have been charged in connection with these crimes. More than 100 cultural heritage sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage have been destroyed or damaged, including 44 in Odessa, 59 in Lviv, and the National Literary and Memorial Museum of Hryhoriy Skovoroda in the Kharkiv region.
