Man Who Adjusted Russian Missile at Kharkiv Regional Administration Was Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

Thirty-one people died as a result of a Russian missile strike on the regional administration in March 2022.

The Kyiv District Court of Kharkiv found a 37-year-old man guilty of firing a Russian missile at the building of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration on March 1, 2022.

“The investigation has fully proved the facts of the suspect’s cooperation with Russian special services, to whom he leaked information about the Armed Forces and the infrastructure of Kharkiv region through social media,” the statement said.

According to law enforcement officers, on February 28, 2022, the man passed information about the location of the Ukrainian military in the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building to his curator from Moscow. The man also adjusted to other strikes in the city.

“He provided data for strikes on the headquarters of Kharkiv Regional State Administration building. As well as some other addresses in the city, which were later shelled by the Russian army,” the prosecutor’s office said.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the man constantly changed his story during the investigation but did not admit his guilt. He claims that he did not pass any information to the Russian special services and was not involved in the shelling of Kharkiv.

During the search conducted in the traitor’s apartment, law enforcement officers found computer equipment used by him to carry out his subversive activities, as well as a Fort-202 carbine, pistol ammunition, and a grenade case, which he had illegally purchased and stored at his home.

Denis Panikarov, 38, accused of guiding the missiles at the regional state administration building, pleaded not guilty, expects an exchange, wants to visit relatives and friends in Russia and believes that there is no justice in Ukraine.

Background

On March 1, 2022, Russian troops attacked the building of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration with cruise missiles. At the time of the attack, there were people in the building. The attack killed 31 people. In August 2022, a 37-year-old former law enforcement officer was notified of suspicion of adjusting the attack on the administration building.

According to the regional prosecutor’s office, the Kharkiv resident was accused of:

• high treason;
  dissemination of materials justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine;
• illegal processing of firearms;
• possession of firearms without a legal permit, acquisition, carrying or storage of ammunition without a legal permit,
• keeping of explosives without a legal license.

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