Kyiv: Russia refused to provide information about investigators it sent to Donbas to find Zakharchenko killers
At the meeting in Minsk, Ukraine demanded that Russia provide full information regarding media reports that Russia sent investigators to the Donbas to investigate the assassination of the separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko. Russia categorically refused to answer, reported Iryna Herashchenko, Ukraine’s representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) and First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Herashchenko noted that sending Russian investigators to the Donbas is a blatant violation of Ukrainian legislation because only Ukrainian authorities can carry out investigations there or the permission needs to be obtained from relevant authorities, but Ukraine did not give any permission to Russia.
"It is also a violation of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation itself that stipulates that investigative authorities can work only in the territory of the Russian Federation. And in fact, it is Russia’s recognition of the occupation of the Donbas. Aside from the military, FSB, and other random people, investigators are also snooping around there,” Herashchenko noted.
She also said that Ukraine questioned where the ex-leader of the LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic), Igor Plotnistky disappeared, who faces criminal charges in Ukraine. Russia also left this question unanswered, the Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada noted.
Earlier, it was repoted that a group of Russian investigators arrived in Donetsk at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group’s task is to find the killers of the Head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko.
Alexander Zakharchenko, the leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic was killed in the evening of Friday, on August 31. Zakharchenko was mortally wounded in the Separ restaurant in Pushkin Boulevard in Donetsk. The leader of militants died in the hospital due to fatal injuries.
The militants of Donetsk People’s Republic soon reported the capture of a group of "Ukrainian saboteurs" allegedly involved in the organization of the explosion.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed Zakharchenko’s death, denied information about the capture of Ukrainian saboteurs, as well as voiced the version of the motives for the murder of the leader of Donetsk People’s Republic. The Security Service of Ukraine believes that Zakharchenko was killed either as a result of criminal fights, or was assassinated by Russian special services.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expectedly accused Kyiv of eliminating Zakharchenko. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under the article "an act of international terrorism."