Ukrainian court to try Russian FSB officer in absentia
An employee of the FSB, Russia’s security service, has been charged by Ukrainian prosecutors with capturing the offices of the State Border Guard Service in Simferopol, Crimea, in 2014.
The Prosecutor General’s office announced the charges in a press release issued on Dec. 16.
The suspect is alleged to have conspired with other FSB agents and Russian military personnel to capture the Simferopol regional headquarters of the Border Guard Service in March 2014.
The person in question is accused of bribing and coercing local border guards intodefecting and ignoring the subversive activity of Russian troops.
The trial is to be held in absentia. Specific charges include:
● Inciting others to commit high treason.
● Violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
● Aiding and abetting hostile invading forces.
The Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine fell under Russian occupation in March 2014.
The Verkhovna Rada – Ukraine’s parliament – declared Feb. 20, 2014 to be the starting date of the Russian occupation of the peninsula and the city of Sevastopol.
The international community has condemned the occupation as illegal, while Moscow claims to have carried out a “historically justified” annexation.
After invading the peninsula with its troops, Russia organized a sham referendum as an attempt to justify its occupation.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
