Counterintelligence agents from Ukraine's SBU State Security Service have received further evidence of the involvement of the Russian Armed Forces in hostilities in the territory of the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region. The information was provided by the former Russia-led fighter who decided to return to Ukraine-controlled territory.

"Agents established that at the beginning of 2016 a resident of Stakhanov joined the ranks of Russia-led armed groups. The man first served in the so-called engineer-sapper company stationed in occupied Luhansk, and then in the 4th separate motorized rifle brigade. The defector said commanders of both units were Russian military officers," the SBU's press service said on Monday.

According to the defector, Russian military officers personally supervised the military exercises of Russia-led fighters in the occupied Lutuhynsky district of Luhansk region and were responsible for moving Russian special equipment from Taganrog of Russia's Rostov region to Luhansk.

"…Ukrainian soldiers detained the man near the contact line and handed him over to the SBU," the press service said, adding that a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 258-3 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (creation of a terrorist group or a terrorist organization) has been opened. It said the defector is actively cooperating with the investigation and providing testimony about the crimes of the Russian military and their puppets in eastern Ukraine.