gang suspected of looting the Azovelectrostal plant in Mariupol: Investigation and trial: Law enforcement agencies: Lenta.ru

In the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a group of people were detained on suspicion of looting during hostilities. About this reports “Kommersant” (“Kommersant”).

According to version FSB And Investigative Committeethe gang included the Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimir Rushchak, his assistant Sergei Goloshchapov and the head of the departmental State Unitary Enterprise “Trading House “Vtormet”” Maxim Soldatov. They are accused of theft from the Azovelectrostal plant in Mariupol for an amount of at least 518 million rubles – presumably, they sold the property through the State Unitary Enterprise as scrap metal, and divided the proceeds among themselves.

Kommersant's sources in law enforcement agencies noted that this is the first time that officials have been brought to criminal responsibility for looting. The suspects are currently in custody Moscow.

Looters were spotted in Mariupol back in 2022

In 2022, police from the DPR began fighting looters in Mariupol, among whom were fighters from the Azov brigade. (terrorist organization banned in Russia). About this “Lente.ru” on condition of anonymity told head of the police department from the DPR. According to Victor (name changed), on March 10, 2022, as part of a combined rapid response detachment at the Ministry of Internal Affairs base, he went to the zone of a special military operation. Subsequently, the police arrived in Mariupol – their main task there was the evacuation of civilians.

“Residents of Mariupol complained about fighters of the Azov brigade who robbed shops, looted and shot at civilians. The looters tried to take out food, clothing and cigarettes,” said Lenta.ru’s interlocutor. According to Victor, he and his colleagues stood guard during the evacuation – and if they caught one of the looters, then his “prey” was given to civilians who were nearby and were waiting to be taken out of the city. “Among them there were many children, women and old people – hungry, dirty and scared,” the policeman noted.

Later imprisoned deputy commander of the first separate Marine battalion Armed Forces Ukraine (APU) Major Nikolay Mishchenko revealedthat the Ukrainian military, based at the Ilyich plant in Mariupol, was engaged in looting, using the symbols of the Russian troops. “These were groups of 10-12 people who put white ribbons on themselves, imitating the enemy, roughly speaking, and went out with the goal of destabilizing, as I understand it, intelligence data, destabilizing the general situation,” he said. The prisoner clarified that the Ukrainian Armed Forces wanted to throw the civilian population into panic and carried out marauding actions.

Task forces have been created in the Kursk region to fight looters

Previously, in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine created operational groups that will combat looting. Head of Glushkovsky district Pavel Zolotarev asked the head of the military police to strengthen night patrols and access control in populated areas. According to the official, the military police have already caught some of the criminals – they found weapons and other people's property. Work in this direction, as the head of the municipality emphasized, continues.

Later in the Kursk region discovered a Ukrainian armored vehicle filled with household appliances. Footage that appeared online shows Russian soldiers cautiously approaching an abandoned combat reconnaissance and patrol vehicle (BRDM). After making sure that the armored car is not mined, they open it. In the interior of the BRDM, servicemen found a large amount of household appliances, including an electric kettle, a fan, and a TV. Also visible on the side of the seat is an object similar to the system unit of a personal computer. “Here and”javelins“They’re lying around,” the Russian soldier noted.