Separatists stated that two thousand Russians are kept in Donetsk detention facility
A Russian writer, who supports the activity of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Natalya Makeeva, stated that about 2,000 Russians are being held in a Donetsk detention facility. It is reported that they came to the Donbas in 2014 to join the illegally armed groups. According to Makeeva, she deals with issues related to prisoners of war in separatist-controlled areas and the territory controlled by Ukrainian Government.
Natalya Makeeva claims that the detained Russians came to the Donbas in 2014 and were under the leadership of Igor Girkin-Strelkov. The Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, confirmed the detention of Russian citizens.
“I know that people, who came during the first wave, patriots, are being held in a Donetsk detention facility. When I talked to Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharchenko, he showed me a huge pile of documents and said yes, these are Russians, who came to Donetsk, because Strelkov told them to live off our land; they have committed plenty of crimes. As far as I understand it, about 2,000 people are being held there, and we cannot help them until we at least figure out under which Article they were charged,” Makeeva stated during a live broadcast on the YouTube Channel, Dialogue, which was created by the founder of the separatist battalion Vostok, Alexander Khodakovsky.
Makeeva added that Zakharchenko informed her that the detained Russians will be tried in accordance with the laws of the Republic.