Ukraine opens case against former Crimean Colonel who defected to Russia
In Ukraine, the Military Prosecutor of the Central Region has started criminal proceedings against the former Deputy Head of the Crimean Territorial Command of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Colonel Stephen Gaydarzhiyskyi. He is suspected of treason.
According to the Press Service of the Military Supervisory Authority, the criminal case was opened on the 18th of February. This was reported by the General Directorate of the Military Counterintelligence of the Department of Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine.
It has been established that in April 2014, during the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the military units of the Russian Federation, Gaydarzhiyskyi had sided with the enemy. He remained in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and also volunteered for military service in the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation", the statement said.
The statement also reported that Gaydarzhiyskyi was promoted to the rank of General-Major of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in February 2015.
The Ministry reported on their intention to conduct a special pre-trial investigation in the manner prescribed in article 297-1 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) of Ukraine. The criminal proceedings were started as the crime of high treason is detailed in part 1 of the article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.