Media: Russia freed separatist commander Pogodin out of fear that he could give evidence about those responsible for MH17 crash
Vadim Pogodin, a militant of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR) who has been released in the Crimea, could give evidence about the individuals involved in the crash of the MN17 aircraft in the Donbas in the summer of 2014, as reported by Novaya Gazeta.
Ukrainian authorities suspect Pogodin of the brutal murder of schoolboy Stepan Chubenko, and have demanded his extradition. However, deputies in Russia, as well as former militant leaders, including Sergei Dubinsky aka Hmuriy (“Gloomy") in particular, who played a role in the case of the MH17 crash and is allegedly responsible for moving the 'Buk', missile system, have spoken out against extradition.
The newspaper emphasizes that, in addition to the old friendship between these militants, they are united by their shared knowled of who, in 2014, got the Russian Buk missile system that shot down the plane.
"And of course, the extradition of any of them to Ukraine (under any pretext) could be a gift for investigators in the MH17 case (Ukraine is one of the five countries participating in the investigation under the leadership of the Netherlands)," the publication notes.
At the same time, the publication notes that the former leader of the DPR, Alexander Boroday, particularly highlighted Hmuriy’s concern about the possible extradition of Pogodin.
"The fact that Boroday has highlighted the anxiety of ”Hmuriy is the most noteworthy detail in his speech [in an interview with one of the editions]. The alarm of the most vilified figure of the MH17 case, voiced publicly, can be seen as a reminder of himself: do you confirm there (in Moscow) my immunity, and Moscow confirms…a few months before the Netherlands presented the final accusations and the disclosure of the names of all those involved in the tragedy. The sadist not only avoids extradition but is free as well. As is now becoming clear, there will be no suit against him, neither in Russia, nor even in the DPR,” summed up Novaya Gazeta.
Earlier it was reported that the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (GPO) did not receive a response from the Russian Federation about the transfer of Pogodin suspected of killing a schoolboy in Donetsk.
"The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has not received an official response from the Russian Federation about the transfer to Ukrainian law enforcers of former head of the ‘Kerch’ battalion, Pogodin, who brutally killed Ukrainian citizen Stepan Chubenko in the Donbas and was subsequently detained in the Crimea," the GPO stated.