Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) chief Vasyl Hrytsak thanked his Estonian colleagues for their assistance in detaining an Estonian citizen who had fought in Donbas on the side of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and extraditing him to Ukraine.
Let me express my sincere gratitude for your help to criminally prosecute this person suspected of involvement in the activity of terrorist organizations active in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. I highly value your readiness to unite our efforts to counter common challenges, especially during this difficult period (…)”, Hrytsak said in an open letter to Estonia’s justice minister and special service chief. The letter was published on the SBU website.
Pre-trial investigation files indicate that the foreign citizen voluntarily joined the LPR militants and performed different tasks with weapons in hand, the SBU press center said.
A decision is now being made to remand the suspect in custody as a restraining measure.
It was reported that in February 2015 Estonia’s Security Police detained Russian-speaking Estonian citizen Vladimir Polyakov in Narva as he prepared to enter Russia by bus. The man planned to subsequently reach Luhansk, where he wanted to join units fighting against the Kyiv authorities. Weapons and ammunition banned for use by civilians were confiscated from him.
Polyakov visited Luhansk twice in 2014, each time spending a month there.
In mid-June, Estonia’s State Court rejected an appeal lodged by Polyakov, who was accused of involvement in the hostilities in Donbas. The Estonian government decided in December 2015 to extradite the man to Ukraine at Kyiv’s request. On February 3, the Tallinn Administrative Court asked the government to reconsider its decision and issue a new one.
Estonian media reported on June 30 that Polyakov had been extradited to Ukraine and was already in Kyiv.
