Kyiv’s Pechersky District court has granted permission to the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) of Ukraine to conduct a special pre-trial investigation into criminal offenses committed by Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Army General Dmitry Bulgakov and State Secretary/Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov.
The PGO’s press service on Sept. 23 said Bulgakov and Pankov are accused of committing crimes under Part 3 of Article 110 (violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine), Part 4 of Article 27, Party 1 of Article 111 (state treason) and Part 2 of Article 437 (planning, preparing to conduct war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The pretrial probe established that Bulgakov and Pankov in February and March of 2014, acting according to a preliminary conspiracy with a group of individuals with other Russian officials, committed premeditated acts with the aim of changing the borders of the territory of Ukraine, coerced Ukrainian military officials to commit state treason and assisted in launching war against Ukraine.
The suspects have been put on the state wanted list and the court granted permission to arrest and bring the men to court to determine pretrial detention.
After conducting the necessary investigatory and other procedural steps, the indictment of the named individuals will be presented to court for a special hearing (in abstenia trial).
The military prosecutor’s office said that the incriminating criminal acts committed by Bulgakov and Pankov are tantamount to high crimes against the foundations of Ukraine’s national security, peace, the security of mankind and international law and order, which are punishable by lifelong jail sentence.
