Court in Kyiv authorizes conviction of two Russian Deputy Defense Ministers in absentia
The press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine reported on the 23rd of September that the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv authorized the conviction in absentia of two Deputy Ministers of Defense of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Bulgakov and Nikolai Pankov.
“The pre-trial investigation has revealed that Dmitry Bulgakov and Nikolai Pankov in February-March 2014, acting as part of a conspiracy with other representatives of Russian authorities, committed deliberate actions aimed at violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, incited Ukrainian servicemen to commit treason, and helped to wage an aggressive war against Ukraine,” the General Prosecutor’s Office noted.
The suspects were declared wanted by the state. The Court authorized their arrest and transfer to the court for consideration to be remanded to custody. After the completion of investigative and other procedural actions, indictments against Bulgakov and Pankov will be submitted to the court for conviction in absentia. According to Ukrainian legislation, the Russian officials face life imprisonment.
The General Prosecutor’s Office has inititated legal proceedings against a total of 18 representatives of the Russian Armed Forces, including the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergey Shoygu.