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Russian citizen suspected of being mercenary in armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine

The Office for crimes related to the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare of the RF Investigative Committee’s Head Office has initiated criminal proceedings against Dmitry Fedotov suspected of mercenarism under Part 3 of Article 359 of the RF Penal Code.

According to investigators, in April 2014, Fedotov left his family – the wife and two small children in the town of Kingisepp, Leningrad Region and went to Kiev to take part in anti-governmental riots.

In Ukraine Fedotov was trained in Aidar volunteer battalion, including by instructors from the USA. In 2015, to get profit he took part in military actions against representatives of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk while still serving in the said nationalistic division.

The investigators have searched his residences, as well as those of his acquaintances in the city of Saint Petersburg, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk and Omsk Regions and seized from there objects and documents relevant for the investigation. The investigators are now taking steps to locate Fedotov and are carrying out other investigative and search operation to find out all the circumstances surrounding the crime.

Acting Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                  S.L. Petrenko