The SBU has served six more occupiers with suspicion notices, including the bodyguard of Russian propagandist Zakhar Prilepin.
This was reported by the SBU press centre.
The Security Service has collected evidence against six more militants who fought against Ukraine. At the end of 2024, the defendants were captured by the Defence Forces during battles on the Pokrovske, Siverske and Toretske directions.
‘One of the prisoners was a 32-year-old Russian man who guarded the Kremlin “military commander” Yevhen (Zakhar) Prilepin during his trips to the temporarily occupied part of the territory of Luhansk Region,’ the statement said.
According to the investigation, the Russian militant joined the Zorya battalion of the LPR terrorist organisation before the outbreak of full-scale war. There he was appointed as a scout rifleman.
While in the ranks of terrorists, he first fought against the ATO forces, and from 24 February 2022, he took part in the seizure of part of the territory of Luhansk Region. The other three are traitors from the Luhansk Region who, as part of the 88th and 2nd Rashist motorised infantry brigades, captured Siverskodonetsk, Lysychansk and Rubizhne.
In addition, they built fortifications for the occupiers who stormed Bakhmut.
Later, the traitors were ‘sent’ to attack the villages of Bilohorivka and Verkhnekamyanske, where they were captured by Ukrainian troops.
Two more militants are residents of the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk Region. One of them was initially on duty at Russian checkpoints in Horlivka, and after 24 February 2022, he fought in the areas of Bakhmut and Pokrovsk.
The second joined the 123rd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, where he fired at Ukrainian positions near the villages of Pisky and Ozaryanivka as a machine gunner.
In December 2024, both traitors surrendered to the Defence Forces during the battles near Toretsk.
Based on the materials of the military counterintelligence and SBU investigators, the five suspects were served a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- pp. 1, 2 Art. 111 (high treason);
- p. 7 Art. 111-1 (collaboration).
The criminal activity of the Russian citizen is qualified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- p. 1 Art. 258-3 (participation in a terrorist organisation);
- p. 2 of Art. 110 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine).
The offenders face 15 years in prison or life imprisonment.