15 ex-bodyguards of Yanukovych are suspected of desertion
Kyiv • UNN
Fifteen former bodyguards of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych have been charged with desertion for fleeing with him to Russia in 2014.
Fifteen former employees of the State Protection Department of Ukraine who arbitrarily left their places of service and fled after former President Viktor Yanukovych were served with suspicion notices. This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation, UNN reports.
Details
In February 2014, Yanukovych, accompanied by security guards from the Ukrainian parole service, arrived in Donetsk, from where he tried to illegally fly to Russia, but the SBGS officers blocked the attempt.
Then the former president and the heads of his security entered into a criminal conspiracy with representatives of the Russian law enforcement agencies. To cross the border, a plan was developed to smuggle the fugitive president, members of his inner circle, and his security detail to the territory of a Russian military airfield in the TOT of Crimea.
There, Yanukovych decided to leave the territory of Ukraine for good. To provide himself with professional security, he persuaded the Ukrainian parole officers, who were performing their military duty to ensure his personal safety, to desert and leave with him for Russia.
As a result, sixteen guards left for the Russian Federation on a ship provided by the Russian Armed Forces and did not return to their place of service. Most of them received the citizenship of the aggressor country after leaving.
In order to conceal the committed desertion, an order was issued on February 23, 2014 to dismiss 15 of these employees of the Ukrainian parole service from military service. However, it was found that the parole officers left for Russia on February 24, 2014, in the status of military personnel.
In the near future, the issue of filing motions with the investigating judge to impose a measure of restraint in the form of detention on the suspects will be decided.
Recall
On February 9, 2022, the State Bureau of Investigation served former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych with a new suspicion of inciting military personnel of the State Protection Department to desert.
