Russia's Chief of Defense Gerasimov is ideologist of armed conflict in Ukraine – Ukrainian chief military prosecutor

13:10, 05.08.2015 1 min read

The Military Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine believes that Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov is the main ideologist behind the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Gerasimov is suspected of being the ideologist of launching an aggressive war and military conflict in the east of Ukraine, these suspicions are based on collected factual evidence," Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoliy Matios said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Ukrainian investigators will also continue to collect evidence against other senior Russian military officials, Matios said.

During the investigation, they will examine and collect evidence of the orders issued by Russia's first deputy defense minister, defense minister, and supreme commander-in-chief, he said.