Helped Russians seize the peninsula: Crimean self-defense fighter to be tried

The autonomy's prosecutor's office has submitted to the court an indictment against a member of the illegal armed group 'Crimean self-defense', which acted on the side of the Russian armed forces during the active phase of the occupation of the peninsula.

According to the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, in February 2014, a citizen of Ukraine voluntarily joined the ranks of the "Crimean self-defense" - an illegal armed group coordinated by the Russian armed forces. Following the instructions of the Russians, the accused participated in the blocking and seizure of transport infrastructure, military facilities, state and local government bodies of Ukraine, as well as enterprises, institutions and organizations of the peninsula.

In March 2014, the accused, armed with firearms, together with other members of the illegal armed group, participated in the blocking and seizure of the 10th Saki Naval Aviation Brigade (military unit A1100) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was awarded medals "For the Return of Crimea" and "For the Defense of Crimea" for the conscientious fulfillment of the tasks set by the occupiers.

Law enforcement officers classified the man's actions as participation in illegal armed groups in attacks on enterprises, institutions, organizations, encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine and high treason. The accused faces up to 15 years in prison for the crime.

Earlier, the commander of the 5th company of the illegal armed group"Self-Defense of Crimea" was sentenced to 13 years in prison for helping Russians occupy the peninsula. Before that, a former Ukrainian fighter of the 16th company of the 'Crimean self-defense' received the same sentence.

The autonomy's prosecutor's office also sent to court indictments against the "ataman" of the NGO "Union of Cossacks of the Feodosia Region", which was part of the IAG, and the "director general" of the so-called "State Treasury Institution of the Republic of Crimea "Crimean Republican Headquarters of the People's Militia - People's Guard of the Republic of Crimea". The former agitated the military personnel of military unit A 2272 in Feodosia to join the occupation authorities and blocked the unit's activities. The second provided assistance to the military of the aggressor country's armed forces. In addition, the "self-defense" members were directly involved in the preparation and holding of an illegal "referendum" in March 2014 on the accession of the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation.