SBU brings charges against Russian General Staff Chief

The Security Service of Ukraine suspects and declares wanted the Chief of General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valeriy Gerasimov, as well as 10 other Russian soldiers for preparation and unleashing of the armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine.

This was announced by the Chief of the Security Service Investigation Department Hryhorii Ostafiichuk at a briefing broadcast by 112 Ukraine TV channel, Censor.NET reports.

"Some soldiers executing orders of the General Staff Chief Gerasimov organized training and unleashed the conflict on the territory of our state... A grounded suspicion of the general staff chief and 10 servicemen has been put forward," Ostafiichuk said at a briefing on Wednesday in Kyiv.

He added that under the Ilovaisk crime investigation (the so-called Ilovaisk encirclement, which killed hundreds of Ukrainian military) "we have notified the Chief of General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valeriy Gerasimov, as well as 10 other Russian soldiers of suspicion, as their presence in Ukraine during the Ilovaisk tragedy is well established. Following a legal procedure, a suspicion has been forwarded to Russia with appropriate responses having been received," the SBU official said.

According to him, one of the Kyiv district courts is currently considering a restraint measure with respect to these persons, as well as their arrest and delivery to court, as they are citizens of the Russian Federation.

"Allocation of 3,500 Russian military in the Donetsk region during the Ilovaysk tragedy is proved by documents," he added.