UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Feb. 18 —  Ukrainian prosecutors have filed charges against two Russian generals over the destruction of the dam at the Oskil Reservoir in the Kharkiv region in 2022, calling it an act of ecocide and a violation of the laws of war, said Ruslan Kravchenko, the General Prosecutor of Ukraine. 

The suspects are Oleg Makovetskyi, commander of the 6th Air and Air Defense Army of Russia’s Western Military District, and Oleg Tsokov, commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the same district.

According to investigators, Russian forces targeted the dam in the spring of 2022, launching Kh-59 missiles and FAB-250, FAB-500 and FAB-1500 glide bombs at the dam. Ukrainian forces later downed one of the aircraft involved in the attack on the dam, prosecutors said.

In September 2022, Russian troops, while retreating from the Kharkiv region during Ukrainian counteroffensive, mined and detonated the dam’s sluice structures, completely destroying it.

Before the invasion, the Oskil Reservoir was among the 10 largest in Ukraine by area and volume. Prosecutors say the destruction caused the reservoir to lose up to 70% of its water, washed away fertile soil and severely damaged the ecosystem of the Siverskyi Donets River, putting local flora and fauna at risk.

Comprehensive forensic engineering, environmental, and economic examinations concluded that the incident amounted to a large-scale social, technological and environmental catastrophe that triggered a state-level emergency, authorities said.

Environmental damages are estimated at more than ₴39.1 billion ($901 million).

The suspects are charged under Ukraine’s Criminal Code with ecocide and violations of the laws and customs of war. Ukrainian authorities said the destruction of hydraulic infrastructure cannot be justified by military necessity and described it as a deliberate attack on civilians and the environment.

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