Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have notified a serviceman of the Azov separate special purpose detachment of the National Guard of Ukraine of suspicion. According to the investigation, while in Russian captivity, he cooperated with the colony administration and representatives of Russian special services, passing on information about other Ukrainian prisoners of war, which, in particular, led to the death of the chief of the Azov medical service.
"After being captured in 2022, the serviceman voluntarily expressed a desire to join the Wagner PMC, which fought on the side of Russia against Ukraine. He did not have time to realize this intention, as he was returned to Ukraine during an exchange of prisoners of war," the SBI reported on its website.
The agency claims that in an attempt to gain lenient treatment from the colony administration, the suspect passed information to the occupiers about Ukrainian prisoners of war, including the chief of the Azov medical service. "Following this, physical violence, torture, and other forms of cruel treatment were systematically applied to the Ukrainian officer, which ultimately led to his death," the report says.
The grounds for the notification of suspicion included testimony from Ukrainian servicemen released from Russian captivity who were held in the same colony with the suspect. "Their testimony is confirmed by the results of investigative actions and expert studies," the SBI emphasizes.
The actions of the serviceman have been qualified under Part 3 of Article 431 (commission by a serviceman in captivity of actions aimed at harming other prisoners of war to ensure lenient treatment for themselves by the enemy); Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 127 (accompliceship in torture); Part 3 of Article 15, Part 7 of Article 111-1 (attempted collaboration activity) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The court remanded the suspect in custody as a preventive measure without the right to bail.
