Counterterrorism forces say they caught a 52-year-old Russian mercenary near Sloviansk on June 20, the website of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) states.
He was
recruited by an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) – Russia’s KGB-successor
agency – to fight Ukrainian forces who promised him $1,000 for every Ukrainian
officer and $300 for every private soldier killed.
In a
video the SBU released of the captured mercenary, after receiving instruction,
he said he was given 200,000 rubles and a ticket to Luhansk from where he was supposed
to get to the Sloviansk city council to receive further orders.
Born in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, his current passport was
issued to him in Smolensk Oblast in 2006.
“When I got here I saw for myself that this is simply war…I
condemn (Russian President Vladimir) Putin for starting this war between our
nations, I feel rotten for our people, we are all Slavs, all Christians, I
condemn this, forgive me please if you can,” the alleged Russian mercenary says
in the video released by the SBU.
In a June 19 interview he gave to Den newspaper, SBU chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko says that recently Ukrainian forces have captured more than 90 “terrorists,” of whom 13 are Russians, including FSB and GRU military intelligence agents.
Video of alleged Russian mercenary released by the SBU (in Russian)
Kyiv Post editor Mark
Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
