The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has information about the involvement of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the transfer of weapons to members of illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine, and is checking reports of his participation in the transfer to DPR militants of a Buk air defense missile system, which, according to the Ukrainian side, was used to shot down a Malaysia Airlines plane.
The interior minister’s adviser, Anton Heraschenko, said at a
briefing in Kyiv on July 22 that the Interior Ministry has irrefutable
evidence of Shoygu’s involvement in “direct actions on the transfer of
weapons to DPR and LPR terrorists – Grad launchers, tanks, artillery
etc.”
“At present we are checking the reports it was Mr. Shoigu who
coordinated the transfer of Buk-M1 air defense missile systems for
terrorists, so that they could shoot down Ukrainian planes, but as we
know, this has led to the tragic crash of the Malaysian Airlines plane,”
Heraschenko said.
“Mr. Shoygu, according to the latest reports, has full control over
the entire supply of weapons, coordination of different groups of
terrorists,” he said.
He said that this was due to the fact that the previous system to manage militants in Ukraine had shown its ineffectiveness.
“Previously, some groups of terrorists were led by the FSB, and
others by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the
Russian Armed Forces. Now the decisions have been made that all of the
terrorists will be led by Mr. Shoigu,” Heraschenko said.
Earlier, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that the main
investigation department of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry had opened
criminal proceedings against Shoigu and businessman Konstantin Malofeyev
under Part 5, Article 260 (the creation of paramilitary or armed groups
not envisaged by law) and Parts 3, 5, Article 27 (complicity in crime)
of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
