The Prosecutor General’s Office has announced that it has identified three people suspected of planting drugs on former battalion commander Oleksandr Shyrshyn. According to the investigation, three former law enforcement officers, who are now serving as soldiers in one of the brigades, conspired with unidentified individuals to organise surveillance of Shyrshyn.
On the night of 27–28 August, they broke into his car in Kharkiv and planted about 30 packets of cannabis and PVP. On 28 August, they passed an alert to patrol officers about a serviceman transporting drugs.
Patrol officers stopped the vehicle and found the planted substances.
“The former serviceman immediately stated that the case had been fabricated and reported prolonged surveillance. The investigation established the entire chain of events — from the unlawful collection of confidential information to the planting of drugs,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
Three people have been served with notices of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 162 (Violation of the inviolability of the home), Part 1 of Article 182 (Violation of privacy), Part 2 of Article 307 (Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, dispatch or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues), Part 2 of Article 15 (complicity), and Part 2 of Article 372 of the Criminal Code (Knowingly bringing an innocent person to criminal liability).
Context
On the afternoon of 28 August, police in Kharkiv stopped the car of serviceman Oleksandr Shyrshyn, an officer with the headquarters of the 16th Army Corps. According to the serviceman, officers said they had information that he was “on something”. Shyrshyn offered to take a test; he was told it had to be done at a medical facility, and they asked to inspect his car.
They found nothing prohibited in the boot, after which officers asked to inspect the cabin and repeatedly asked whether he had anything illegal. After inspecting the cabin and his personal belongings, they asked to check the armrest.
“I don’t use that armrest because it’s the back seat. I open the armrest — there’s some kind of bag. I take it out, and he says: ‘What is that?’ I say: ‘I don’t know.’ I unwrap it, and there’s weed with scales. And a pile of little bags,” he said.
Investigative actions lasted several hours; Shyrshyn brought in lawyers. After the first search of the car, police found packets not only with “weed” but also with other substances.
The serviceman said the drugs had been planted deliberately.
In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, police in Kharkiv Region said Shyrshyn had not been detained — he was summoned to the district police department as a witness in connection with the “seizure of substances that may be narcotic drugs”.
The 16th Army Corps urged people to refrain from premature conclusions and accusations. The corps is conducting an internal inquiry into the circumstances of the serviceman’s detention.
“We know Oleksandr as a serviceman devoted to defending Ukraine, and as a principled person who seeks meaningful change in the Armed Forces and has already proved he was right in court,” the statement said.
Later, Shyrshyn reported that he had noticed signs of surveillance and a break-in at his flat before the drugs were planted. He contacted the police, but there was no result.
Oleksandr Shyrshyn is one of the servicemen who has publicly spoken about the loss of fighters and violent methods in certain assault units of the Defence Forces.
Previously, he publicly criticised the military leadership over certain operations on Russian territory that led to significant losses among Ukrainian troops. After that, Shyrshyn was labelled “undisciplined”. He overturned that status in court.