One of the two suspected Russian soldiers detained recently in Ukraine has agreed to cooperate with investigators, his lawyer told Ukrainian television.
The man, Alexander Alexandrov, who has identified himself as a Russian army sergeant who was on active duty performing a military assignment in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, was not going to appeal his arrest by Kiev government forces, his lawyer Konstantin Kravchuk said, TSN television reported Wednesday.
"My client has chosen the position of cooperating with the investigation," Kravchuk was quoted as saying, adding: "And the conditions of his stay in a VIP room of a military hospital more than satisfy him."
The other soldier, Yevgeny Yerofeyev, who said he was an army captain, has refused to cooperate and will appeal his arrest, his lawyer Oksana Sokolovskaya said, RIA Novosti reported.
"All that the investigation wants to get and is trying to drag out of my client, it will not be given to them," she was quoted as saying.
Alexandrov and Yerofeyev are being treated in a Kiev hospital for wounds sustained before their capture in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine on May 16.
The men said they were on an intelligence-gathering mission in the rebel region, while Kiev accuses them of "terrorism." Moscow denies that they were active-duty servicemen, insisting that they had resigned from the Russian military.
A Russian consul in Ukraine visited the men this week and said they were "feeling relatively well."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.