Ten persons who did mercenary service in the conflict in southeastern Ukraine have been arrested during the past two months. Thus, the prosecutors so far has dealt with six criminal cases started against the ten persons. In two cases, these were sentenced to three years in jail each, IPN reports.
Acting chief prosecutor of Chisinau municipality Igor Popa told a news conference that the ten persons are aged between 26 and 32 and are mainly from southern Moldova. They speak Russian and allegedly became involved in the armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine in order to earn money. They were recruited by a Moldova who is suspected of involvement in a number of offenses committed on Moldova’s territory.
“These persons didn’t have a job in Moldova. They wanted to assert themselves and to gain benefits, not necessarily material ones. These persons get pleasure from what they do. Those who took part in military activities find it difficult to reintegrate and become ordinary citizens,” stated Igor Popa. He also said that these persons could resort to violence in particular circumstances. All the ten persons developed fighting skills.
According to the prosecutor, when the suspects were arrested, the police found documents showing that these belonged to military units of Donetsk and Lugansk regions on them. Two of the persons who fought in Ukraine took part in the public disorder in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office. “The presence of such persons at public events can lead to deteriorations,” said Igor Popa, noting that the mercenary service is a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the national security of Moldova.
The prosecutor added that the exact number of Moldovans involved in the conflict in southeastern Ukraine is not yet known, but it is estimated that there are several dozens of such persons. It’s known that some of the Moldovans involved in the conflict were hurt and some could have died.
Under the legislation, the mercenary service is punished with three to ten years in jail.
