The SBU and prosecutors have issued a suspicion notice in absentia to Russian General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who commanded the seizure of Kherson in 2022.
This was reported on the website of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Dvornikov is the former commander of Russia’s Southern Military District. On 24 February 2022, while in that post, he gave the order for Russian units to invade from temporarily occupied Crimea into Kherson region.
According to the investigation, Russian ground forces entered Kherson region via the “Chonhar” and “Kalanchak” checkpoints, which they had previously shelled with various types of weapons. At the same time, Russian aviation carried out targeted strikes on the region’s civilian infrastructure; in particular, the airfield in Chornobaivka came under a massive enemy attack.
The SBU said Dvornikov commanded the seizure of a bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnipro for a further advance by the Russian army towards Kherson. And after occupying the regional centre, the military formations of the aggressor state hoped to push rapidly deeper into Ukrainian territory with the aim of occupying Mykolaiv, Odesa and the entire Black Sea coastal region.
However, Ukraine’s Defence Forces first blocked the offensive actions of Russian troops and, on 11 November 2022, liberated the right bank of the region.
On the basis of the evidence gathered, SBU investigators have issued Dvornikov with a suspicion notice in absentia under Part 2 of Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (waging an aggressive war or aggressive military actions).