The missile attack on the drama theater in the center of Chernigov on August 19 was most likely carried out by the 26th missile brigade as part of the sixth combined arms army of the Russian Federation.
This conclusion was reached by investigators from the Truth Hounds organization, which documents Russian war crimes.
They collect testimony from eyewitnesses and victims, as well as OSINT data (i.e., open source information).
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What kind of missile did Russian troops attack Chernigov with?
After the attack, the Office of the Prosecutor General stated that the invaders used an Iskander-M ballistic missile.
At the same time, investigators believe that it was still an Iskander-K cruise missile .
Five Truth Hounds witnesses interviewed reported hearing a “whoosh” and “boom” similar to the sound of a jet plane as the missile passed.
“The Iskander-K missile, unlike its ballistic counterpart Iskander-M, is equipped with a sustainer turbojet engine, which means that during flight it makes a sound similar to the hum of jet aircraft,” the investigation notes.
In addition, in the still image from the video that recorded the moment it entered the theater, the wings on the body and tail unit for stabilization, characteristic of the Iskander-K, are noticeable.
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Investigators noted that the missile was programmed to explode in mid-air. Putin's soldiers wanted to inflict maximum defeat on the people around the theater.
Thus, six of the seven people killed in Chernigov at the time of the Russian missile strike were outside the drama theater building. Dozens of houses were damaged.
Confirmation of the Iskander-K detonation over the theater is the nature of its destruction, since it was the roof of the building that suffered the most. Under the influence of the blast wave, the roof fell to the ground or fell into the attic.
In addition, residents of Chernigov found metal elements of destruction 700 m from the center of the explosion. Such elements are typical for the warheads of the Iskander-K and Caliber missiles.
Where did the occupiers launch Iskander?
Truth Hounds documenters found eyewitnesses of the Russian missile flight on August 19 in a number of settlements in the Chernihiv region.
Based on their testimony, investigators established that the occupiers most likely launched the Iskander from the territory of the Bryansk or Kursk regions of the Russian Federation . The missile made its key maneuver near the village of Stepanovka, changing direction to Chernigov.
A female eyewitness from this village reported that the rocket was flying at “the same level” at an altitude of several tens of meters. Investigators using a drone determined that the height in question was 26 m.
“These facts further confirm the use of a cruise missile, because they are capable of changing their course at any part of the flight and flying parallel to the surface of the earth,” the investigation clarifies.
Who carried out the missile attack on Chernigov
The Russian military group West is responsible for missile attacks on the border Chernigov, Sumy and Kharkov regions.
Investigators, based on OSINT intelligence data, identified four units of this group, which are armed with Iskanders. This:
- 112 missile brigade as part of the First Tank Army of the Russian Federation;
- 26th missile brigade as part of the sixth combined arms army of the Russian Federation;
- 448 missile brigade consisting of the 20th combined arms army of the Russian Federation;
- 152 missile brigade as part of the 11th Army Corps of the Russian Federation.
There is little information about the 112th Missile Brigade . Its permanent location is the city of Shuya, Ivanovo region of the Russian Federation. For the last six months, units of the First Tank Army have been in the Kupyansk direction, and the 112th Brigade must provide their fire support.
However, open sources failed to identify confirmation of the combat participation of this brigade in the war. Therefore, experts consider her participation in the attack on Chernigov to be very unlikely.
The 152nd missile brigade is stationed in the city of Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad region. It has 12 Iskander complexes. The brigade took part in battles in the Kharkov region: during the counter-offensive in September 2022, the Ukrainian Defense Forces captured military personnel from this unit.
As of April 2023, part of the 152nd brigade was deployed in the Svatovsky direction. Given the location of this unit’s operations, investigators consider its involvement in the attack on Chernigov “extremely unlikely.”
The 448th missile brigade is deployed in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation and is armed with 12 Iskander self-propelled launchers. This brigade has been involved in a number of rocket attacks on Ukraine, most notably in April 2022.
In April-July 2023, the 448th missile brigade operated in the Svatovsky direction, and in October it was moved to the Kupyansky direction. Its combat zone is limited to the northwestern territories of the Lugansk region and, probably, the south of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation. Therefore, “the version about the participation of this brigade in the attack on Chernigov is also unconvincing,” Truth Hounds notes.
The 26th missile brigade of the sixth combined arms army of the Russian Federation is deployed in the city of Luga, Leningrad region. It was the first in Russia to completely rearm itself with Iskander complexes. The brigade takes part in the war against Ukraine and shelling of the territory of our state.
Truth Hounds investigators note that the location of other analyzed Russian missile brigades does not coincide with the direction of the missile’s approach to Chernigov.
“Consequently, we can assume that it is the 26th missile brigade of the sixth combined arms army of the Russian Federation that operates in the Bryansk and Kursk regions,” the investigation emphasizes.
Truth Hounds assessed that this brigade was “most likely responsible for the attack on the Chernigov theater.”
Satellite images of the territory of the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation, obtained by investigators, recorded Iskander firing positions.
Using OSINT, specialists identified most of the personnel of the 26th Missile Brigade. It is commanded by Colonel Pavel Rusakov and his deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Elfimov. They “most likely gave the order to attack Chernigov on August 19, 2023.”
Experts have also discovered other evidence of the combat deployment of the 26th missile brigade in the Bryansk and Kursk regions of the Russian Federation. They handed over the data to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
What is known about the missile attack on Chernigov
On August 19, at about 11:30, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the building of the Chernigov Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after T. G. Shevchenko.
As a result of the explosion, 10 administrative and 66 residential buildings were damaged.
The attack killed seven people and injured more than 200 people.
