Ukraine releases former separatist commander; will the mystery of the MH17 disaster soon be revealed?
Yesterday, September 5th, Ukraine released Vladimir Tsemakh (58 years old) - the former commander of the pro-Russian separatist air defense forces in eastern Ukraine - who is considered the main suspect in the MH17 air disaster that killed 298 people.
A Ukrainian court on September 5th decided to release Mr. Tsemakh after six months of detention. Judge Yury Sliva of the Kyiv Court of Appeals released Tsemakh, but warned him to be ready for questioning at all times and not to flee.
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| Vladimir Tsemakh when he was the commander of the separatist air defense forces in eastern Ukraine. |
Although Ukraine has not confirmed the possibility of Tsemakh's involvement in the MH17 plane crash, 40 European parliamentarians on September 4th urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ensure that Tsemakh would be questioned as part of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) investigation into the MH17 crash.
Mr. Tsemakh is considered a "key" witness in the case, and his release could shed light on the matter.
