The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a car with two armed citizens of the Russian Federation at one of the checkpoints of the ATO forces in the Donetsk region. O.S. Shapovalov and A.V. Mokhovaya illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine to accomplish a mission related to information warfare given by the Russian secret services. The detainees, under the guise of journalism, had to distort information in their reports and spread panic among the population of the Donetsk region.
During the inspection of documents these pseudo journalists, thinking that they were among their own people, revealed themselves as Igor Girkin’s assistants and asked for help from the side of terrorists.
It was established that Shapovalov and Mokhovaya illegally arrived to Donetsk from the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea in order to reinforce the so-called “Political Department of the Donetsk People’s Republic”. Under the guise of independent journalists they were to take photos and videos on the destruction of residential areas and infrastructure committed by terrorists, and then present media reports of the destruction as if it had been committed by the Ukrainian military.
SBU officers seized small arms (submachine guns) and ammunition from the detainees.
Investigatory actions are in progress.
Edited by Larry Field
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