Belarusian tankman from Somalia battalion arrested in Donbas

A court has arrested for two months a citizen of Belarus who fought on the side of terrorists in the Somalia battalion in Donbas and took an active part in the seizure of Donetsk Airport in 2015, the press service of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office reported on Tuesday.

"In November 2014, a 30-year-old citizen of the Republic of Belarus joined the ranks of 'DPR' militants. Having received the title of a 'senior sergeant,' the man began military service in the first detached tank battalion 'Somalia' as a tank commander, for which he received a monthly reward. He also took an active part in fighting against units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military formations of Ukraine involved in carrying out the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] in Donetsk region. In particular, he directly participated in the capture of Donetsk Airport in 2015," the report reads.

It notes that in the same year, the terrorist left the service, but returned in 2017, joining a "DPR" military unit and actively participating in armed clashes with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On August 10, 2018, the man arrived in Ukraine to continue his illegal activities and was immediately exposed by SBU officers and prosecutors.

The citizen of Belarus was notified of a suspicion of committing a criminal offense stipulated in Part 1, Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization).

The court upheld a petition from the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office and ruled to arrest the man for 60 days.

The pre-trial investigation continues.

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