Latest news with #IvanVyhivskyi
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wagner mercenaries detained in Moldova in Avengers international operation
Ukrainian and Moldovan police have detained three Wagner Group mercenaries and other fighters from illegal armed groups involved in Russia's war against Ukraine. Source: Ukraine's National Police; Ivan Vyhivskyi, Chief of National Police; Prosecutor General's Office Details: The three detainees are Moldovan nationals who participated in the battle for Donetsk airport, the capture of Bakhmut and the encirclement of Debaltseve between 2014 and 2023. They fought as part of the Wagner group, the Somali battalion and other armed formations of the so-called DPR [the Russian-backed Donetsk People's Republic - ed.] and Russia. Some of them received medals and awards from the Russian forces' military command. More than 200 police officers were involved in the operation to detain the mercenaries. Law enforcement officers from both countries carried out over 50 searches at the suspects' residences and registration addresses as part of the first phase of the Avengers international police operation. As a result, documents, computer equipment and mobile phones were seized, containing messages, photos and videos with information about recruitment, service conditions in the Wagner group and evidence of the suspects' participation in combat operations in Ukraine. Moldovan police have charged the three suspects under Article 141.1 of Moldova's Criminal Code for serving as mercenaries in an armed conflict, engaging in war-related or other violent actions aimed at overthrowing or undermining constitutional order or violating the territorial integrity of the state. The court is currently deciding on their pre-trial detention, and they face up to 10 years in prison. Authorities note that these are just the first of 85 Moldovan nationals identified by Ukrainian police as having fought for Russia. Ukraine's National Police has launched a special criminal investigation to document all cases of recruitment, training, financing and deployment of these individuals in combat against Ukraine. With the support of the International Police Cooperation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, their data has already been handed over to the relevant Moldovan law enforcement agencies, where a new series of pre-trial investigations has begun. Quote from Vyhivskyi: "Over 200 police officers from both countries worked to document the crimes of the invaders. These are just the first among 85 Moldovan citizens identified by Ukrainian police as having fought on Russia's side. We have gathered information on their service records, family ties, contacts and current locations. A report with our findings has already been sent to European law enforcement agencies, stressing the urgent need to establish an international database of war mercenaries and coordinate efforts to combat this growing threat. We are bringing this issue to the global stage and working with every civilised nation to address it. We have identified 37 private military companies created by Russia to wage war in Ukraine and beyond since 2014. This poses serious risks for Europe, including societal destabilisation, a rise in organised crime, and the return of battle-hardened mercenaries to EU countries." Support UP or become our patron!
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia behind string of bombings on Ukrainian military draft offices
Russian spies have been blamed for a series of bombings at Ukrainian army recruitment offices as tensions run high over the war-weary nation's divisive mobilisation drive. An explosion at a draft centre on Wednesday in western Ukraine killed one person and wounded four others. It was the latest of a string of such incidents in recent weeks. 'We clearly understand, together with the Security Service of Ukraine, that this is a specific attack by the special services of the Russian Federation to... destabilise the situation,' said Ivan Vyhivskyi, Ukraine's national police chief. A man approached the Kamianets-Podilsky district territorial centre, clutching a bag and asking to hand over a package, which then exploded, Mr Vyhivskyi said. He added that there have been nine such similar attacks orchestrated by Russian intelligence officers already this year. Kyiv has long been facing the steep challenge of maintaining troop levels in the face of high casualties and against a much larger enemy. The Ukrainian government has been facing widespread criticism for its efforts to mobilise men using more coercive methods, including reportedly pulling men off the streets and using intimidation and sometimes physical force to recruit them. On Wednesday, Ukrainian police announced they had detained three men accused of attacking a recruitment centre in the central city of Pavlograd on Russian orders. The suspects were 'recruited via messenger and promised a monetary reward for committing the crime', police said. 'On the instructions of their Russian handler, the traitors manufactured explosives and detonated them near the object he had designated.' On Saturday, one person was killed and six were wounded by an explosive device at a draft centre in the north-western city of Rivne. Earlier in the day, a man with a hunting rifle shot dead a Ukrainian army recruitment soldier and escaped with a conscript before both were caught by police. But as the country struggles to recruit men, Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it is fast-tracking the introduction of robotic vehicles on the front line to spare soldiers. Mykhailo Fedorov, the digital transformation minister, said uncrewed ground vehicles could relieve pressure on recruitment. 'Our goal is to create a military where innovative technologies help perform the most dangerous tasks, saving the lives of our defenders,' he said. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, made a visit to Kyiv on Wednesday to unveil a further £55 million in financial support from the UK. From the new financial package, £17 million will go to innovative energy projects, £10 million to help the recovery of businesses and £25 million to support family and community services, the Foreign Office said. 'We will continue to stand alongside you to fight this imperialism that we're seeing from Putin until the very end,' Mr Lammy said, adding: 'It is still our assessment that Putin shows no desire to negotiate at all at this point in time.' The Kremlin, however, reiterated on Wednesday that it was 'ready for talks' with Ukraine, though it dismissed Volodymyr Zelensky's suggestion of face-to-face negotiations with Vladimir Putin as 'empty words'. 'Zelensky has big problems de jure (legally) in Ukraine. But even despite that we remain ready for talks,' Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said, referring to the Ukrainian president's five-year mandate in office, which expired last year. Under martial law, Ukraine has a ban on holding elections. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine each said 150 of their captured soldiers had been returned in the latest POW exchange on Wednesday. 'Some of the guys had been in captivity for more than two years,' Mr Zelensky said. 'Today is a good day for all of us.' Elsewhere, suspected Russian agents disguised as climate activists have been accused of vandalising cars in Germany in order to influence the outcome of the country's upcoming election. The men, so-called disposable agents, sprayed expanding foam into the exhaust pipes of hundreds of cars and left pro-Green party leaflets nearby, Der Spiegel, the political magazine, reported. The plot initially appeared a success, with the country's tabloid media picking up the story of 'climate radicals' sabotaging vehicles. However, a chance vehicle control outside Berlin airport led police to the group in December. One of the suspects is reported to have confessed that they had been paid 100 euros per vandalised vehicle by a Russian agent. Germany is set to vote for a new parliament on Feb 23 after Olaf Scholz's centrist coalition collapsed in November, with Russia favouring the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Norwegian intelligence services also warned on Wednesday that Russia is 'likely' to launch sabotage attempts against Norway in 2025, potentially targeting energy infrastructure or aid sent to Ukraine. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian secret services do not pay for terrorist attacks and kill perpetrators, National Police says
The National Police of Ukraine has warned that Russian secret services search for perpetrators of terrorist attacks through social media, but in the end, they do not pay them and kill the recruited individuals. Source: Chief of National Police Ivan Vyhivskyi Quote from Vyhivskyi: "Regarding police officers, they [Russian secret services – ed.] come up with various methods and ways to commit such crimes. We even have a case in one oblast where a police unit was called to an apartment where an explosive device was disguised as a children's toy. Russia recruits our citizens, mostly young people aged 20 and under. These are individuals who do not fully understand the responsibility and consequences of their actions, as they have low social responsibility. In Chernivtsi, these were people involved in drug trafficking, and we documented them. I want to point out that the Russians, in most cases, do not pay the promised money. Moreover, the last two cases – one in Rivne and today's case – show that they kill the recruited individuals." Background: In recent months, attempts to carry out terrorist attacks with explosions targeting administrative buildings have become more frequent. Russian agents have targeted police, military enlistment offices, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Military Law-Enforcement Service, Ukraine's national postal service Ukrposhta, and others. On 5 February, an explosion occurred outside a military enlistment office in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi in Ukraine's west. A man who was delivering explosives died in a blast. Four others were injured and are in a moderate condition. Support UP or become our patron!
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian spies accused of orchestrating bomb attacks on Ukrainian army offices
Ukraine has accused Russian spies of orchestrating several bomb attacks on its army recruitment offices, as authorities revealed the latest attack killed one person and injured four. An attack on Wednesday hit a conscription centre in the western Khmelnytskyi region. A man approached a checkpoint in the office, clutching a bag and asking to hand over a package. An explosion then happened, killing the man. Another conscription officer was shot dead at a petrol station last week. Separately, a young man was blown up last Saturday by an explosive device he had brought into a draft office in the northwestern city of Rivne, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russian spies allegedly recruited the man and Russian security officers are said to have detonated the device remotely after he had entered the draft office. Eight Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the blast. National police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said: "We... understand this is a deliberate attack by Russian special services that aims to create a false opinion in society, destabilise the situation and create a negative attitude towards the security and defence forces." Mr Vyhivskyi said there had been nine attacks organised by Russia already this year, including three targeting police officers. He did not provide evidence of Russian involvement, though such information is generally withheld for security reasons. The police chief said Russian intelligence officers were recruiting young men or people of "low social responsibility" to stage the attacks in return for money. Read more: "The Russians in most cases do not pay the money to these people. Moreover, these last two cases indicate they liquidate the people they recruit," Mr Vyhivskyi said. There was no immediate comment from Russia on the Ukrainian allegations. The blasts have piled more pressure on an already troubled national campaign to draft civilians into the armed forces. Enthusiasm among many military-age men to enlist has faded considerably since the start of the war. Senior military officials openly point to manpower shortages as a problem at the front, where Russian troops are advancing.
Sky News
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Russian spies accused of orchestrating bomb attacks on Ukrainian army offices
Ukraine has accused Russian spies of orchestrating several bomb attacks on its army recruitment offices, as authorities revealed the latest attack killed one person and injured four. An attack on Wednesday hit a conscription centre in the western Khmelnytskyi region. A man approached a checkpoint in the office, clutching a bag and asking to hand over a package. An explosion then happened, killing the man. Another conscription officer was shot dead at a petrol station last week. Separately, a young man was blown up last Saturday by an explosive device he had brought into a draft office in the northwestern city of Rivne, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russian spies allegedly recruited the man and Russian security officers are said to have detonated the device remotely after he had entered the draft office. Eight Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the blast. National police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said: "We... understand this is a deliberate attack by Russian special services that aims to create a false opinion in society, destabilise the situation and create a negative attitude towards the security and defence forces." Mr Vyhivskyi said there had been nine attacks organised by Russia already this year, including three targeting police officers. He did not provide evidence of Russian involvement, though such information is generally withheld for security reasons. The police chief said Russian intelligence officers were recruiting young men or people of "low social responsibility" to stage the attacks in return for money. "The Russians in most cases do not pay the money to these people. Moreover, these last two cases indicate they liquidate the people they recruit," Mr Vyhivskyi said. There was no immediate comment from Russia on the Ukrainian allegations. The blasts have piled more pressure on an already troubled national campaign to draft civilians into the armed forces. Enthusiasm among many military-age men to enlist has faded considerably since the start of the war.
