Ukrainian MoD: Former Ukrainian servicemen in Crimea are under attack from Russian special services
Former Ukrainian military forces who now live in the Crimea could become "potential victims of the Russian special services." This opinion was expressed by the speaker of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine on ATO issues, Andrey Lysenko in an interview with Krym.Realii on November 16.
"The territory annexed by the Russian Federation is home to thousands of former Ukrainian servicemen who had retired to the reserve. At any time, the Russian security forces can detain and pass off such people as 'Ukrainian saboteurs’," the speaker said.
Lysenko says that none of the current Ukrainian military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "were detained by anybody anywhere." Everyone is at their posts. He says that Russian special services "have intensified their activity and are applying their ‘creativity.’”
"Currently they are announcing the arrests of Ukrainian spies," he added.
On the morning of November 16, Russian newspaper RIA Novosti reported, citing its own sources, about the alleged detention in Simferopol of a service member of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. According to media reports, a pistol, a grenade and elements necessary to create an improvised explosive device were seized from the detainee. Russian authorities have not confirmed the information in publicly available news sources yet.
On August 10, the Russian Federal Security Service reported that a group of "Ukrainian saboteurs" was detained in the Crimea on the eve of August 7, who were allegedly preparing terrorist attacks on the peninsula.
The Ukrainian authorities deny all of Moscow’s allegations, calling them a "provocation."