Kiev’s capture of 2 Russian ex-military a ‘show,’ torture must stop – Moscow

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Kiev’s capture of 2 Russian ex-military a ‘show,’ torture must stop – Moscow

May 19th, 2015

David Schulberg

Gates in front of the defense ministry building (RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov)

Ukraine’s detention of two “Russian troops” is nothing but a show, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, adding that neither was serving in the Russian Armed Forces at the time of their arrest. It called on Kiev to stop the alleged torture of the men.

Following Kiev’s claim
that a pair of Russian soldiers had been captured in eastern
Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement that its own
investigation had revealed that both individuals hold Russian
citizenship and had received military training, but neither was
serving in the army.

“We have been informed about today’s show jointly staged by
the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the SBU [security service of
Ukraine] in regard to the detention of the two alleged Russian
soldiers in the Lugansk region,” Russian Defense Ministry
spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

“At the time of their arrest on May 17, the captured Russian
individuals Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Yevgeni Yerofeev were not
active members of the armed forces of the Russian
Federation.”

Ukrainian authorities alleged earlier on Monday that its security
forces had arrested two Russian servicemen in the conflict zone
in the country’s Lugansk Region. Kiev claimed the two were from
the 3rd Special Purpose Brigade of GRU (Main Intelligence
Directorate of the Russian General Staff) based in the city of
Tolyatti in central Russia.

Konashenkov explained that Aleksandrov and Yerofeev have both had
combat training and at some point in their lives served in the
army, but neither was still active in the military.

Kiev must put an end to its tactic of torturing detainees in
order to force confessions, the ministry said. It also passed on
a request made by the Veterans Association of Special Forces,
urging Kiev “to stop SBU’s abuse of the wounded to get a
favorable testimony.”

Hundreds of Ukrainian troops have been detained in Russia during
the course of the Ukrainian civil war, noted Konashenkov,
stressing that all were treated according to international norms,
received medical help, and were allowed to return home to their
families.

“We are counting on the good sense of the Ukrainian
leadership and the speedy release of Aleksandr Aleksandrov and
Yevgeni Yerofeev,” the statement said.

The death toll from the Ukrainian conflict has exceeded 6,100
people, according to UN figures. The conflict began last April
after the country’s eastern regions chose not to recognize the
new coup-imposed authorities in Kiev.

While the violence has largely subsided since the signing of the
Minsk peace deal in February, shelling and exchange of fire still
occur in eastern regions controlled by militia forces. At least
one person was killed late on Monday after a Ukrainian army shell
hit a civilian apartment block amid what was said to be the worst
attack on the city of Donetsk in months.

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