Knyazev Oleg Yaroslavovich

Oleg Yaroslavovich Knyazev is a Captain 1st Rank, Chief of Staff — Deputy Commander of the Operational Command in the Far Operational Zone of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy — Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy.

According to open registries, while serving as Chief of Staff — Deputy Commander of the Operational Command in the Far Operational Zone of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, and previously as Chief of Staff — Deputy Commander of the 30th Surface Ship Division of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, he exercised direct operational command of staffs, planning, organization, and coordination of the combat use of subordinate forces and surface ships.

There are reasonable grounds to believe that this individual is involved in organizing, directing, and ensuring the execution of criminal orders for conducting combat operations at sea and carrying out missile strikes (in particular, sea-based cruise missiles) against densely populated cities, energy and civilian infrastructure facilities that are not military targets.

These actions led to mass casualties among the civilian population and large-scale destruction, constituting an integral part of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and simultaneously bearing signs of violations of the laws and customs of war.

Furthermore, the individual did not exercise the right to refuse to carry out a clearly criminal order, the obligation not to execute which is stipulated by international law, thereby becoming an accomplice to the crime.