16:41, 9 August 2014

ICRF: five Ukrainian officers released in Rostov Region

As reported today by Vladimir Markin, the spokesman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), Russian law enforcers have released five Ukrainian military, earlier arrested on suspicion of crimes against civilian population.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after more than 400 soldiers had crossed the Rostov section of the Russian-Ukrainian border on August 3 and 4 and found themselves in Russia, five of them were detained and arrested on suspicions of war crimes against the people of Donbas. Ukrainian MFA treated the detention of Ukrainian officers in the Russian Federation as "politically motivated".

According to Vladimir Markin, a decision was made not to charge them and let them return to Ukraine.

"Given the fact that it became clear in the inquiry that the detained Ivan Voitenko (a Battalion Commander of the 72^nd Mechanized Brigade) and his subordinates fulfilled orders of their superior commanders, committed no other direct crimes against persona, as well as guided by humanitarian considerations, it was decided not to charge them and let them return to Ukraine," the RIA "Novosti" quotes today Vladimir Markin as saying.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.