Ukraine has charged several of its troops with treason after they leaked information to the enemy during an unauthorized mission that allowed Russia to attack a Ukrainian military airport, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the SBU on Thursday.
A press release from the Security Service of Ukraine said that last July, the military tried to seize a Russian plane “without coordination with the relevant state authorities” after its pilot said he would surrender.
But during the “special operation”, the Ukrainian military revealed information about the location of the country’s military personnel and aircraft, which allowed Russia to launch a missile attack on the runway of the Kanatove airport in the center of the country, the same source reported.
As a result of the shelling, the Ukrainian commander and 17 other soldiers were killed, and two fighter jets were also destroyed. Also, the runway, airport buildings and military equipment suffered significant damage.
The SBU did not specify how many servicemen were charged, and did not reveal their identities, noting only that they are accused of treason and abuse of official position.
Accusations of the SBU against the Ukrainian military
“According to the investigation, the (air) strike was caused by the arbitrariness of some servicemen who independently decided (…) to seize a plane of the Russian Air Force, whose pilot would have agreed to the offer to desert. to Ukraine,” said the SBU press release.
“Individual actions of these servicemen, which led to serious consequences, the death and injuries of the defenders of Ukraine and caused damage to the country’s defense capabilities, require an appropriate legal assessment,” he added.
Ukraine’s national arms company Ukroboronprom offered $1 million or $500,000 to any Russian pilot who surrenders on a military plane or helicopter gunship on March 8 last year, less than a month after the Russian invasion began.
The SBU message does not specify whether this proposal was related to the transfer of the case to the military prosecutor’s office.
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Source: Hot News
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