War crimes trial: Russian general faces 15 years or life for museum strike
Prosecutors in Ukraine have opened a case against Oleh Makovetskyi, the commander who ordered the 2022 missile attack on the Hryhorii Skovoroda National Literary Memorial Museum.
By Thomas Obasi ·
Ukrainian prosecutors are preparing to try a Russian lieutenant general in absentia over the 2022 missile strike that destroyed the Hryhorii Skovoroda National Literary Memorial Museum. The accused, Oleh Makovetskyi, currently serves as Commander of the Russian 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army. He is from the city of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast.
The Prosecutor General's Office stated that investigators determined Makovetskyi knew the target was a cultural monument rather than a military installation. Despite this, he issued a combat order for the site's destruction. Law enforcement officials have traced the full chain of command, showing how the order traveled through aviation division and fighter wing commanders.
Makovetskyi faces charges of violating the laws and customs of war as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence or up to 15 years in prison.
The museum, located in Skovorodynivka, was founded in 1972 to honor the 18th-century Ukrainian philosopher and poet Hryhorii Savych Skovoroda. Its collection included thousands of items, such as personal belongings, rare editions of his work, ethnographic artifacts, and sculptures. The philosopher's grave is situated near the main building.
In May 2022, a Russian missile hit the museum's roof, causing a fire that consumed the entire structure. The son of the museum director, who was 35 and guarding the premises overnight, was injured and pulled from the rubble. Only the statue of the philosopher survived the initial blast. In 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine identified Ivan Panchenko, commander of the 159th Fighter Aviation Regiment, as the officer who executed the strike. He has also been notified of charges in absentia.
Restoration efforts have proceeded slowly since the attack. Last year, conservators reconstructed 27 of the museum's exhibits. In May 2026, a Russian drone damaged the protective shelter built over the ruins, adding a new layer of structural risk to the site.
