By KYIV. Sept 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has collected evidence on eight more traitors who joined the ranks of the occupation groups of the Russian Federation and fought against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kherson and Donetsk regions.
“The security and defense forces captured them during fierce battles in the areas of Lyman and Lysschansk, as well as during the liberation of the right-bank part of Kherson region. Among the detainees are grenade throwers, radio telephonists and machine gunners,” the SBU reported on the Telegram channel on Monday.
According to the SBU, almost all of them, even before the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, joined the terrorist groups of “LPR” and “DPR” and fought against the ATO forces in eastern Ukraine. “At the end of February 2022, the lawbreakers voluntarily joined the regular units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Southern Military District of the aggressor country. Together with the Russian invaders, they stormed Ukrainian cities in Donetsk and Kherson regions. During the fighting, different types of enemy automatic and anti-tank weapons were used,” the report says.
Also, according to the SBU, the fighters equipped the firing positions of the occupiers and built fortifications for them to deter counter-offensive operations of Ukrainian troops.
Based on the collected evidence, the SBU investigators informed the fighters of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law), Part 7 of Article 111-1 (collaboration). An investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the criminal activity of the lawbreakers. They face life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by SBU officers in Ivano-Frankivsk region under the procedural leadership of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.
