The SBU exposed the criminal activities of 54-year-old Andrii Popov. He heads the branch of the "Association for the Assistance of the Army, Aviation and Navy of the Russian Federation" in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Points of attention
- A racist Russian officer in Crimea prepares schoolchildren to participate in the war against Ukraine.
- Teenagers, in particular 14-year-olds, are trained as part of assault groups and to store reconnaissance drones.
- Criminal activity includes ideological propaganda and the formation of hatred of Ukraine among young people.
- Popov may face punishment for war crimes and justifying her state's armed aggression.
- The Security Service of Ukraine has already informed about the suspicion of Rashist and is taking comprehensive measures to bring him to justice for actions against Ukraine.
What is known about the criminal activity of Rashist Popov
According to the SBU, Popov conducts combat and ideological training of local schoolchildren, preparing them to participate in the war against Ukraine.
Adolescents, mostly 14-year-olds, are taught to operate as part of assault groups, operate attack and reconnaissance drones, overcome mine obstacles and fire various types of weapons.
The training takes place on training grounds and training centers of the Russian army near Simferopol. In addition to military training, schoolchildren are systematically exposed to propaganda aimed at creating hatred for Ukraine.
The Security Service of Ukraine also established that, on the instructions of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Popov is organizing a new "Tovaristva" branch in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region
What punishment can threaten a criminal of the Russian Federation
On the basis of the collected evidence, the investigators of the Security Service notified Popov in absentia of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
h 1 Art. 438 (war crimes);
h 3 Art. 436-2 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine).
Comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against our state. The investigation was conducted by SBU employees in Crimea under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor's Office of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
