Defence Intelligence of Ukraine official refutes Russian accusations of sabotage in occupied Crimea

KYIV. Sept 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russia’s accusations of alleged involvement of the Defence Intelligence [Directorate] of Ukraine (also known as the Defense Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense) in sabotaging a gas pipeline in occupied Crimea are untrue and are a provocation, the directorate’s spokesman Mykola Krasny has said.

"This information is not true. Ukraine’s military intelligence believes that this is a targeted and planned provocation that is taking place in the general system of provocations against Ukraine and its Defence Intelligence [Directorate]," Krasny told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday, September 8.

He said that in the opinion of the directorate, this provocation has several purposes.

"First, to justify the repressive measures, actions that are taking place now in the Crimea against the Crimean Tatar population. And secondly, we do not exclude that the Russian occupiers are looking for other reasons to intensify and spread such repression in Crimea," the spokesman said.

Krasny also reported that the directorate believes that the "confessions" of the brothers Asan and Aziz Akhtemov, whose video was spread by the FSB, took place under pressure.

"Regarding these people and their seemingly ‘confessions’ that they gave to the camera and that the Russian media spreads, the whole civilized world knows the methods used, about cruel tortures. Therefore, we believe that all the testimony they give – it all happened under very terrible pressure. We are very sorry for these people, and we believe that the world community should join in freeing them from these prisons, from this captivity," he said.

Earlier, on August 7, the press service of the FSB said Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate, together with the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, were allegedly involved in organizing a "sabotage" that occurred on a gas pipeline near the village of Perevalne in occupied Crimea on August 23. According to the FSB, three suspects were arrested as part of the investigation.

As reported, in the morning of September 3, FSB officers detained Eldar Odamanov in the occupied Crimea, then Aziz Akhtemov, Asan Akhtemov, and Shevket Useinov were detained. In the morning of September 4, after a search of the house, deputy chairman of the Crimean Tatar People’s Mejlis Nariman Dzhelial was detained. The police of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code (intentional destruction or damage to property) due to "mechanical" damage to the gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne, which is located on the road from Simferopol to Yalta.

In response to the detention of Crimean Tatars on the Russia-occupied peninsula, an action in support of them took place near the Russian embassy in Kyiv on September 5.

About 70 people attended the action. Activists held posters, in particular, appeals to the international community to respond to the arrests on the peninsula. According to head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, a new wave of searches and arrests of Crimean Tatars in Crimea on September 3-4 is revenge of the Russian authorities for the summit of the Crimea Platform organized by Ukraine.

Rallies in support of the detained Crimeans took place on the peninsula itself. At one of these, the FSB detained more than 40 activists, who were later released.

On September 6, the occupation "court" in Crimea illegally chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for three detained Crimean Tatars. Thus, Dzhelial and the Akhtemov brothers were arrested for 60 days, until November 4, on suspicion of alleged involvement in the damage to the gas pipeline in Perevalne village on August 23.

In addition, Shevket Useinov and Eldar Odamanov were sentenced to 14 and 15 days of administrative arrest, respectively, for alleged disobedience to police officers. They will be detained in the Simferopol temporary detention center.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, Russian special services tortured the detained Crimeans and used physical and psychological violence against them.