Suspects Kostiantyn Koltsov and Mykola Lianyi defected to Russian service in 2014
The State Bureau of Investigation has charged two former officers of the Sevastopol Berkut unit. They are accused of torturing ZSU military personnel, volunteers, and activists at a checkpoint near Armyansk during the 2014 occupation of Crimea. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing the Telegram channel of Crimean Wind, based on data from Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
According to the released documents, the suspects are Kostiantyn Mykolaiovych Koltsov and Mykola Oleksandrovych Lianyi. At the time of the 2014 events, both suspects held the rank of police lieutenant and served as sniper inspectors in the Sevastopol Berkut assault platoon.
Circumstances of war crimes
The investigation established that in February-March 2014, these individuals directly participated in acts of violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. The incidents took place at the Turkish Wall checkpoint located near Armyansk.
Russian command involvement
According to law enforcement, the group’s criminal activities were coordinated by the command of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Notably, the report states that Deputy Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Valery Kulikov was personally present at the scene and directed the security forces under his command.
Legal charges
Following the active phase of the occupation, the suspects officially joined the ranks of Russian security agencies, joining the Sevastopol OMON Berkut unit of the Russian Interior Ministry. They are currently charged with war crimes, high treason, and encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Illustrative photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0
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