Accessibility links

Breaking News

Ukraine Detains Alleged Separatist Fighter


The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says it has detained an alleged mercenary suspected of having fought on the side of pro-Russian separatists in the country's east.

The SBU said on April 2 that a 26-year-old Kharkiv resident had been detained after returning to the eastern Ukrainian city from Russia's Rostov region.

Investigators believe the man received money to fight alongside separatists in the Donetsk region, which borders Kharkiv province.

They said preliminary investigations revealed he was wounded last year and treated in the Rostov region.

The suspect is facing charges of threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity and could be imprisoned for five years if convicted.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine in fighting between rebels and pro-government forces since April 2014.

Kyiv and the West accuse Russia of sending troops and arms to aid the separatists, a charge Moscow denies.

  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL

    RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27 languages in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG