In Odesa region, a court has found the former deputy head of the center for work with personnel of the Center for Operational (Combat) Support of the Ukrainian Navy guilty of high treason and desertion.
According to the Odesa Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region, the former officer was sentenced to 14 years in prison with confiscation of all his property.
Prosecutors proved in court that in March 2014, during the temporary occupation of Crimea, the lieutenant colonel deliberately failed to report to a new location determined by the command. Instead, he concealed his affiliation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, subsequently violated his military oath and went over to the enemy.
According to the Special Prosecutor's Office, the former soldier signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces and is still serving in the ranks of the aggressor state's army. In particular, he holds the position of deputy regimental commander for work with the personnel of the military unit No. 86863 - 68th separate naval engineering regiment of the 22nd army corps of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. He was sentenced in absentia.
This is not the first time traitors from Crimea have been sentenced in absentia - the Special Prosecutor's Office is systematically working to bring to justice all those who assist the aggressor.
Earlier, Intent wrote that a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for treason and facilitating the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In addition, Ukrainian special services collected evidence against a former official who, after the annexation of Crimea, became a minister and forced local residents to pay taxes to the Russian budget. According to the investigation, until 2014, he worked for the State Tax Service of Ukraine, but after the occupation of the region, he voluntarily sided with the occupiers.
Ірина Глухова