Ukraine arrests former defense chief for letting Crimea fall into Russian hands
Mr. Vladimir Zaman was reportedly arrested by the Ukrainian press to investigate treason, causing the Crimea peninsula to fall into the hands of Russia.
Ukrainian press simultaneously cited their own sources in law enforcement agencies saying that the Military Prosecutor's Office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) arrested former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Colonel Vladimir Zaman on suspicion of treason.
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Colonel Vladimir Zaman was arrested on suspicion of treason, allowing Crimea to fall into Russian hands. |
Colonel Vladimir Zaman was dismissed on February 19, 2014. He claims he was dismissed for refusing to join the army in support of the Maidan coup. "I am a soldier, I am not a politician, I have read the prosecutor's documents, and I want to say that everything in them is distorted," Vladimir Zaman said at the Pecersk District Court in Kiev.
The judge announced the decision to extend the detention period until March 27, 2019, despite Mr. Vladimir Zaman's lawyer saying that he had health problems and was unlikely to flee the country.
Chief Military Prosecutor Anatoly Matthios said at a briefing on February 26 that the former Chief of the General Staff Vladimir Zaman is suspected of being the cause of the disintegration of the armed forces. According to Matthios, the former Chief of Staff illegally decided in 2013 to cut nearly 17,000 people, including more than 14,000 military personnel, more than 70 military units were disbanded, mainly military support associations and activities, as well as training centers and completed territorial centers.
Vladimir Zaman faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Colonel Vladimir Zaman was also blamed for the fall of Crimea to Russia because of his decision to "paralyze all parts and units of the Crimean tactical group from resistance".
Furthermore, there were direct orders to shoot not only at the police but also at the protesters, in order to further enrage the crowd in the square and cause a political crisis in the country.
The first to report that several Georgian snipers were involved in the shooting on Maidan Square was General Tristan Tsitelashvili, the former commander of an elite unit of the Georgian army, an enemy of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
"In fact, people from Georgia were present on Maidan Square and they received sniper orders, I knew about it since 2014... Some of them served under my command in the Georgian army. Some remained on Ukrainian territory, participating in hostilities. Those who returned to Georgia did not dare to tell the truth, they were very afraid! As important witnesses, they could be killed to cover up the evidence" - General Tsitelashvili stated in an interview with Sputnik.