Fled from ’Azovstal’, defected to Russian Federation and led mortar crew: State Bureau of Investigation has concluded case against former border guard. PHOTO
Staff at the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have concluded a special pre-trial investigation into a former border guard inspector. In 2022, he abandoned his post in Mariupol, surrendered to the Russian occupiers, and subsequently joined an armed group formed by them.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the State Bureau of Investigation’s press centre.
It is noted that the indictment has been sent to court.
What did the investigation establish?
In March 2022, the border guard was on the premises of the Azovstal steelworks. Despite an order from his command to redeploy, he left his post without authorisation and went into hiding.
"Subsequently, the man voluntarily went to the command post of the Russian occupying forces and surrendered. After so-called ‘filtration’, he was held in one of the penal colonies in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region alongside Ukrainian prisoners of war," the statement reads.
Swore allegiance to Russia
It is also noted that in November 2023, the former border guard swore allegiance to Russia and became one of the first members of the so-called ‘Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Battalion’ created by the occupiers.
He also gave interviews to Russian propagandists, discredited Ukraine and urged Ukrainian prisoners of war to refuse a prisoner exchange and defect to the enemy.
Currently, the defendant, whose call sign is "Sky", commands a mortar crew and is taking part in combat operations against the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
The former border guard is charged with:
- desertion committed under martial law (Article 408(4) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine);
- treason committed under martial law (Article 111(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
He faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The court has ordered the defendant to be remanded in custody. His property has been seized.
