“I was with Russian officers who described what was happening, told me the numbers of military units and the names of the soldiers who were sent to fight in Ukraine. I know for a fact that if not for Russian intervention, we’d be living peacefully and quietly in our country.”When asked why the Russian officers were in prison, Soloshenko replied that they were facing several charges, but, in fact, they were accused of supporting Ukraine.
“They were in prison because they share our thoughts about Crimea and the situation in eastern Ukraine. Of course, they’re facing other charges, too. They’ve been charged with insubordination. They’re highly respectable people; they have many medals and decorations. I have great respect for them. I made several new friends in prison, decent people, and I’ll definitely keep in touch with them.”Yuriy Soloshenko, ex-director of the Poltava military factory Znamya was arrested in August 2014 when he arrived in Moscow for a business meeting. The FSB said that he was trying to steal secret components of anti-aircraft missile systems intended to build up Ukraine’s air defense. Soloshenko denied the charges. In October 2015, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years in a strict-regime penal colony. On June 14, 2016, Yuriy Soloshenko and Hennadiy Afanasyev were exchanged for two Ukrainian citizens suspected of separatism and treason, namely two journalists from Odesa, Olena Hlishchinska and Vitaliy Didenko, who, according to the Security Service, helped found the breakaway “National Council of Bessarabia”.
Related:
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- Russian military analyst: The forces in Donbas are Russian Army
- What does Putin want for releasing Savchenko?
- New sanctions possible if Russia keeps violating Ukrainian hostages' rights #LetMyPeople go
- One fifth of Russia's hybrid "DNR/LNR" force in Ukraine are regular Russian Army troops -- Ukrainian MoD (Infographics)
- Donbas militias are "UNITS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY," says Babchenko
- National responsibility: Why Savchenko is not a ticking bomb for Ukraine
