Vitaly Shkolenko: biography
Vitaly Ivanovich Shkolenko was born on February 5, 1966 in the village of Techucha, Uman district, Cherkassy region. Mr. Shkolenko graduated from the Stavropol Higher Military School of Pilots and Navigators in 1989 and the Military Academy of Air Defense in 1996.
From 01.12.2013 to 31.08.2017, he served as commander of the 105th Guards Mixed Aviation Division. In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Major General by Presidential Decree No. 619. As of 2021-2022, he served as Deputy Commander of the 6th Leningrad Army of the Vks and Air Defense Forces. He is currently the commander of the army.
The army includes the 105th Mixed Aviation Division with the 47th Su-34 bomber aviation regiment based at Baltimore airfield in Voronezh. The 6th Air Force and Air Defense Forces provides aviation support to the “West” group of forces and is the only aviation unit within it.
It is noteworthy that in 2009 the Rashist was deprived of his driver’s license for driving on the oncoming traffic lane. Bombing Ukrainian cities, please, coping with driving proved more difficult.
Vitaly Shkolenko’s war crimes
On 24 February 2022, Shkolenko was directly involved in planning and organizing the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces. Under his command, units of the 6th Army Air Force and Air Defense Forces carried out airstrikes in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. On February 28, 2022, a Tu-22M3 bomber fired about 16 missiles at residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv, simultaneously striking the central square and the regional administration building. On March 7, 2022, an air strike on residential neighborhoods of Sumy killed 21 civilians, including two children. The Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
In March 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Maxim Kryshtop, a Su-34 pilot of the 47th Bomber Regiment, was shot down and captured over Kharkiv. At his trial, he confirmed that he had bombed Kharkiv with free-falling FAB-500 bombs on orders from his command. A Ukrainian court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
In parallel, units of the 6th Army were striking the Bucha district of the Kiev region. While his subordinates were bombing Bucha and Irpin, Shkolenko’s relatives were hiding in the basements of the same towns. This was publicly stated by his relative Oleksandr Gershun, the headman of Shkolenko’s native village. Tekucha in Cherkasy region. According to him, the Rashist “personally gave orders” to bomb Irpen, Bucha, Kiev and Golovanevsk, knowing that his relatives were there. Gershun’s video message was made public by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Shkolenko’s actions fall under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. All those involved will be identified and prosecuted for their crimes.
Vitaly Shkolenko’s family
Shkolenko is married to Shkolenko Elina Anatolievna (06.12.1967), a native of Rostov region. The wife of the Rashist during the period of her husband’s service in the military unit 20727 was listed as an instructor of the same military unit.
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