16:17 08.08.2022

Ex-Defense Minister Yezhel suspected of concluding ‘Kharkiv agreements’ in favor of Russia – SBI

3 min read
Ex-Defense Minister Yezhel suspected of concluding ‘Kharkiv agreements’ in favor of Russia – SBI

Former Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Yezhel was notified of suspicion of high treason for approving the signing of the so-called "Kharkiv agreements", which contributed to the Russian Federation in the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said on Monday.

"The Admiral, who at one time was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy and understood all the risks of extending the stay of the Russian Fleet on the territory of Ukraine, agreed on the entire package of documents necessary for the implementation of the Agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the stay of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine dated April 21, 2010, the so-called ‘Kharkiv Agreements,’" reads the message.

"Because of this, conditions were created for the continuation of the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine for 25 years, which contributed to the build-up of military equipment and personnel of the armed forces of the Russian Federation ... and were subsequently used during the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2014 instead of their reduction and withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine in accordance with the terms of the basic Agreements," the SBI stressed.

At the same time, the ministry noted that the draft documents were approved by the minister without even attending the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on April 21, 2010, at which they were discussed, as well as without conducting a mandatory legal examination of the compliance of the draft Agreement with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.

Yezhel is suspected of committing high treason by prior agreement by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The website of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine notes that in the same proceedings under the same article of the Criminal Code, former President Viktor Yanukovych and ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, as well as ex-ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, were notified of suspicion.

As reported, in August 2014, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine notified Yezhel of suspicion as part of the investigation of criminal proceedings concerning the destruction of the logistics of the Ukrainian army. At that time, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Vitaliy Yarema clarified that it was about the period from 2005 to 2013. According to the Prosecutor General, more than 50 criminal proceedings were opened.

In 2016, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine drew up a report on suspicion of Yezhel for improper performance of official duties during the approval in 2011 of the list of military property of the Armed Forces of Ukraine subject to alienation. He is suspected of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official position entailed grave consequences).

In March of the same year, Yezhel, along with another ex-Minister of Defense of Ukraine Pavlo Lebedev, was put on the wanted list. Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said that Yezhel had been in one of the medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus for a long time, but Belarus said there was no information about the whereabouts of the Ukrainian ex-minister. In 2018, military counterintelligence reported that Yezhel received refugee status in Belarus and lives with his family in Minsk.

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