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For Russia, the Exchange of a Key Figure in the MH17 Crash Could Be Quick Fix That Backfires | The Moscow Times
In pursuing its aim to get Vladimir Tsemakh out of Dutch reach at any cost, the Kremlin may have made another blunder.
Vladimir Tsemakh.
Read the article. Putin demanded that Ukrainian national Vladimir Tsemakh be included in the Ukraine/Russia "35 for 35" prisoner swap of 7 September 2019. One of the Russian MH17 suspects, Igor Girkin, has said Tsemakh was head of the separatists' air defences in Snizhne, close to where the Joint Investigative Team says the Buk missile was fired from that downed flight MH17 killing all 298 aboard. Tsemakh had also boasted of hiding the Buk and assisting in its return to Russia. Tsemakh was captured in June 2019 in occupied eastern Ukraine by a combined team from Ukraine's security service (SBU) and military intelligence. He has been held in custody ever since. Ukrainian investigators did question Tsemakh regarding the MH17 event.
I agree with the decision to include Tsemakh in the prisoner swap. Whatever information he possesses has already been revealed in depositions. He is not that critical to the MH17 investigation/trial. Although a difficult decision, the release of 35 Ukrainians, some in Russian prisons for 5 years, supersedes the interests of anything else. The Dutch were apprised of this beforehand, and have filed an extradition request with Moscow. This was not an initiative by Kyiv. Putin forced this decision with an ultimatum.
Related: Inside Ukraine's Secret Mission To Capture The MH17 'Suspect' Traded With Russia
In pursuing its aim to get Vladimir Tsemakh out of Dutch reach at any cost, the Kremlin may have made another blunder.
Vladimir Tsemakh.
Read the article. Putin demanded that Ukrainian national Vladimir Tsemakh be included in the Ukraine/Russia "35 for 35" prisoner swap of 7 September 2019. One of the Russian MH17 suspects, Igor Girkin, has said Tsemakh was head of the separatists' air defences in Snizhne, close to where the Joint Investigative Team says the Buk missile was fired from that downed flight MH17 killing all 298 aboard. Tsemakh had also boasted of hiding the Buk and assisting in its return to Russia. Tsemakh was captured in June 2019 in occupied eastern Ukraine by a combined team from Ukraine's security service (SBU) and military intelligence. He has been held in custody ever since. Ukrainian investigators did question Tsemakh regarding the MH17 event.
I agree with the decision to include Tsemakh in the prisoner swap. Whatever information he possesses has already been revealed in depositions. He is not that critical to the MH17 investigation/trial. Although a difficult decision, the release of 35 Ukrainians, some in Russian prisons for 5 years, supersedes the interests of anything else. The Dutch were apprised of this beforehand, and have filed an extradition request with Moscow. This was not an initiative by Kyiv. Putin forced this decision with an ultimatum.
Related: Inside Ukraine's Secret Mission To Capture The MH17 'Suspect' Traded With Russia