The court hearing in the case involving the attack on a café in Groza was postponed due to the absence of a lawyer
A preliminary hearing in the case of the Russian attack on a café in the village of Groza in the Kharkiv region was scheduled to take place on November 6 at the Kharkiv Industrial District Court. However, the hearing was postponed due to the absence of one of the attorneys representing the two accused Russian commanders. The attack on the café in October 2023 killed 59 people, including an eight-year-old child.
The state-appointed attorney informed the court that he would be unable to attend due to his involvement in another court case and participation in investigative proceedings. He is defending two Russian commanders—Alexei Kim and Alexei Petrushin. The other four defense attorneys joined the hearing via video conference. The prosecutor supported the motion to postpone the hearing.
Presiding Judge Serhiy Shevchenko explained that in the absence of a defense attorney, the court cannot proceed with the pretrial hearing. He also addressed the victims and explained that this was the first hearing date following the submission of the indictment to the court. It was not possible to coordinate the date with all five defense attorneys in advance. “The absence of a defense attorney is an obvious and unconditional ground for postponing the preliminary hearing. I would like to explain to those present—first and foremost, the victims—that This is the first hearing scheduled after the indictment was filed, and it was not possible to coordinate the date with all the defense attorneys—and there are five of them—and it so happened that one attorney notified us that he was unavailable. However, we will coordinate future dates to avoid scheduling conflicts,” the judge said.
How many victims are there in the case?
Sixty people have been granted victim status in the case. Nine of them appeared in court on November 6. More than 30 people submitted requests asking that the case be heard without their presence. Ten other victims have not yet been reached. Prosecutor Spartak Borisenko explained that the prosecutor’s office and the court will continue to take steps to summon all victims and ensure their participation in the proceedings. Some of the victims have left the country, some are currently on the front lines, and others still live in Hroza itself and were unable to attend the hearing.
“Going forward, the prosecutor’s office and the court will take steps to summon the victims and ensure their appearance. Unfortunately, many people have left the country, some are on the front lines, and others live right in Groza and were unable to attend today,” Borisenko noted. At the same time, the absence of victims at the hearings does not mean that their testimony will not be considered. Regardless of whether they participate in person in the trial or request that the case be heard in their absence, the court must question all victims at the appropriate stage.
Victims Are Seeking Compensation
In addition to the criminal proceedings, the victims have begun filing civil lawsuits. They are demanding compensation for emotional distress resulting from the Russian attack. This was reported by the judge, the prosecutor, and a representative of several victims.
According to available data, the material damages from the attack amount to nearly 11 million hryvnias.
What is known about the strike on the café in Groza
The tragedy occurred on October 5, 2023, in the village of Groza, Kupianskyi District, Kharkiv Oblast. A Russian “Iskander-M” ballistic missile struck the “Sputnik” café, where people had gathered for a memorial dinner following the reburial of a Ukrainian soldier. Fifty-nine people were killed in the strike. Among them was an eight-year-old child. The attack became one of the deadliest in terms of civilian casualties resulting from a single Russian strike on the Kharkiv region.
The investigation into the case lasted about three years. On October 5, 2026, the prosecutor’s office announced that the indictment had been submitted to the court. Russian commanders Oleksiy Kim and Oleksiy Petrushin are charged with violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder. Two Ukrainian citizens—former law enforcement officers Volodymyr and Dmytro Mamon—are also set to stand trial. They are charged with treason and aiding and abetting a war crime.
According to the investigation, after the de-occupation of the Kupiansk region, the Mamon brothers left for Russia. Their role in orchestrating the Russian strike is to be determined by the court. The charges do not yet constitute a verdict, and the defendants’ guilt must be proven in court.
The case regarding the missile strike on the “Sputnik” café in the village of Groza in the Kharkiv region has been referred to court. Seven defendants will stand trial—two local brothers who, according to the investigation, provided the coordinates, and five Russian commanders.
Earlier, five Russian military personnel were charged in connection with the strike on the café in Groza.
As a reminder, the Kharkiv region plans to implement a mandatory evacuation of children from a number of settlements due to the deteriorating security situation. Local residents are advised not to delay and to leave immediately.
The Chernihiv Regional Defense Council, at the request of the military command, decided to implement a mandatory evacuation of the population from twelve border villages starting July 1. This was reported by Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration.
