Ukraine has charged 10 Crimean residents with treason

Ten residents of occupied Crimea are suspected of treason for voluntarily joining the Russian army after the occupation of the peninsula in 2014. Some of them are still serving in the Russian Armed Forces.

This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine.

According to law enforcement officials, after the occupation of Crimea, the suspects signed contracts with the Russian army and began serving in various military units. These included air defense units, anti-aircraft missile regiments, and radar and combat control units.

Some of the suspects were promoted to leadership positions. In particular, one of them became the deputy commander of an anti-aircraft missile division in charge of military-political work.

Other suspects were responsible for the operations of a command post and a radar group. Several more assumed leadership positions in the motor transport service and units responsible for radiological, chemical, and biological protection.

According to police, most of the ten men are still serving in Russian military units. At the same time, at least three of them left the Russian army in 2020–2021.

The identities of the Crimean residents and the circumstances of their service were established by operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police in Vinnytsia Oblast and detectives from the Khmelnytskyi Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Based on the evidence gathered, the ten suspects were notified in absentia of their status as suspects under Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine— high treason.

If found guilty, they could face up to 15 years in prison.

Previously, a Crimean resident who was captured during combat operations—the man had fought against the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the Russian army—stood trial. He received the maximum sentence for high treason.

Ірина Глухова