The SBI identified more than 20 former “Berkut” fighters who are fighting on the side of Russia
- Author:
- Anna Kholodnova
- Date:
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has established that more than 20 former policemen of the disbanded Berkut special unit are now fighting against Ukraine on the side of the Russian Federation.
This was reported in the press service of the SBI.
The SBI investigators discovered that not only those involved in the criminal case regarding the crimes during the Euromaidan, but also 20 Berkuts were fighting against Ukraine, for whom there was a lack of evidence of involvement in the crimes of the Revolution of Dignity.
Checks of other employees of this special unit are currently ongoing. The SBI is working to report suspected collaborators to established individuals.
Several more employees of the former Berkut, who are also fighting against Ukraine, are already involved in a special pre-trial investigation. The SBI reported that it is at the final stage.
- On February 20, 2014, in the center of Kyiv, police officers killed 48 protesters and wounded several hundred more. The main suspects were 26 fighters of Kyiv Berkut. In the winter of 2016, Zinchenko, Abroskin, Yanishevskyi, Tamtura and Marynchenko were on trial. Already in the summer of 2020, the Sviatoshyn District Court and its jury were supposed to pass a verdict, but in December 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to exchange "Berkut residents" for prisoners of the "LPR" and "DPR" Ukrainians. The court case stalled for more than a year, because only two of those exchanged — Marynchenko and Tamtura — returned to Ukraine. They decided to try the other defendants in absentia.
- In October 2020, the Svyatoshyn District Court of Kyiv declared Abroskin, Zinchenko, and Yanishevskyi on the international wanted list.
- On May 18, 2022, the accused former Berkut fighters told their version of events. They denied guilt and refused to answer all the clarifying questions of the prosecutors, the victims and even their defenders. This was explained by the fact that prosecutors are considered biased.