Kyiv, February 29, 2016. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained Stanislav Krasnov, head of the civilian corps Azov-Krym, and a member of the corps Oksana Shelest, on the night of February 28, right after they set a weapons cache near Shchaslyve village on Kyiv-Kharkiv highway, informed Oleksandr Tkachuk, the SBU Chief of Staff at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Among others, 42 kg of TNT equivalent of explosives were seized from the cache. At present the SBU possesses information of Krasnov’s collaboration with Russian special services. “Krasnov provided Russian party with lists of Azov regiment. He’s been collaborating with the Russians since 2014,” said Tkachuk. He explained that possibility of using explosives was discussed at the latest meeting with Russian supervisors which took place in Belarus. According to the SBU representative, one of the tasks Krasnov was charged with involved planning a murder of an activist on the administrative border with the temporarily occupied Crimea. It would destabilize the situation and give Russian troops a free hand in breaking into Kherson region, blaming the act of terror on Azov regiment fighters.
Tkachuk informed the suspect struggled on arrest, so law enforcements had to use forces. He also said that at the time of committing the crime, Krasnov was under investigation for illicit possession of weapons, but was let out on bail. According to the SBU, Krasnov brought explosives to the weapons cache near Kyiv from another hiding place on the Kyiv – Odesa highway.
Video evidences provided by the SBU at the briefing are accessible at the SBU website.
