The russian targeted strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, which is the largest such facility in Ukraine, has been classified as a war crime. The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported this, stating that experts determined the strike was carried out with a Kh-101 cruise missile.
The use of this specific missile is confirmed by several videos from the scene and the missile fragments with serial numbers. Additionally, as of 7:30 PM according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a total of 22 people were killed and 82 injured in Kyiv, while across Ukraine, 36 people were killed and 140 injured as a result of the russian attack.
Read more: Children's Hospital Hit in a Combined 40-Missile Attack on Ukraine (Video)
"The SSU will do everything possible to ensure that the enemy feels maximum retribution for each of their war crimes, including today’s attack on Ukraine. This retribution will be both legal and moral. The terrorist state is not an abstract concept. There are specific names of the killers. And nothing will save them from justice," stated Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine.
It should also be noted that, in this war crime involving a targeted attack, all videos of the strike show that the Kh-101 missile attacked after performing the standard 'rollercoaster' maneuver, rather than crashing due to an incorrectly plotted route, being shot down, or being damaged.
At the same time, it is worth noting that, besides the Kremlin leadership and the command of the so-called VKS RF who gave the orders, the direct perpetrators of this war crime are also guilty. This includes not only the specific commander but also the entire chain of command, including the leadership of the specific heavy bomber divisions (the 22nd or 326th), the command of the specific aviation regiments (the 40th, 79th, 182nd, and 184th), and the specific crew of the specific aircraft that launched this missile.
But that is not all, because the programming for russian cruise missiles is carried out by the main computing center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the russian federation. In this regard, the SSU has already gathered evidence against its head, russian Major General Robert Baranov.
In its message, the SSU stated that "during the preparation of air strikes on our country, Baranov's unit matches the coordinates of targets received from the command of the russian General Staff with the locations of civilian objects on local maps. In this way, the russians deliberately strike Ukrainian civilian targets."
In addition to the direct commander of this center, who is also responsible for developing flight missions for other missiles, including Kalibr missiles and missiles for the Iskander short-range ballistic missile system (OTRK), the SSU has identified 30 of his subordinates who bear direct responsibility for terrorist attacks.
Read more: Shooting Down UAVs Not Enough, Ukraine Needs SM-6 to Counter Iskander Strikes
