Former Ukrainian Serviceman to Face Trial for Aiding Russian Military

Under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, an indictment was sent to court against a citizen of Ukraine, who had been exposed by law enforcement officers of the ARC in the Kherson region in the autumn of 2021. Currently, he is charged under Part 1 of Art. 111 (treason) and Part 4 of Art. 260 (participation in illegal armed formations) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendant may face up to 15 years in prison.

In particular, the former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine together with other members of the illegal armed formation “Self-Defence of Crimea,” aiding the Russian military, participated in the seizure of Simferopol International Airport and a regional structural unit of the state-owned navigation enterprise “Krymaerorukh.”

The defendant was directly involved in blocking the territory, including the airport’s control tower and runway, to prevent the landing of planes heading from the mainland of Ukraine to Crimea.

In addition, having special knowledge of air traffic control over the peninsula, appropriate skills to work with an automated air traffic control system, the former serviceman helped the Russian Armed Forces to establish control over the airport and the regional structural unit of “Krymaerorukh.” He coordinated the work of air traffic control officers on the flights of Russian military aircraft by which the troops of the occupying power were transported to Crimea and provided information to representatives of the Russian Armed Forces on the movement of aircraft over the peninsula.

Thus, the defendant provided assistance to the foreign state and its representatives in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine.

Natalia Tolub