DNR's Pushilin is served a notice of suspicion in case of 400 illegal "award" weapons

Denis Pushilin, a leader of the terrorist organization Donetsk People's Republic, was served a notice of suspicion for the illegal transfer of more than 400 firearms under the guise of "reward". About this said National Police.

According to law enforcement officials, these weapons were used to "honor" members of Russia's top military and political leadership, key collaborators, and public figures who openly support Putin's regime.

Investigators found that some of the weapons were originally traumatic or pneumatic and were not intended for combat use. It was illegally smuggled into Ukraine from Slovakia, where it was in legal civilian circulation and was not formally classified as combat firearms.

According to law enforcement, the mass purchases were organized by representatives of the criminal community. After that, the pistols were illegally converted into combat firearms

The police identified three groups of participants in the scheme: organizers of purchases and movements of weapons abroad, persons who modified them, and representatives of criminals who coordinated the actions of the participants, were responsible for financing and transferring them to the final recipients.

A separate channel of weapons supply is the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv and other regions. According to the investigation, the guns were stolen from buildings of law enforcement agencies and civilian facilities (bank and post offices).

The pre-trial investigation was conducted together with international partners from Poland and Slovakia, and Europol was involved.

on January 20, the first stage of the operation was carried out: 23 searches were conducted simultaneously in five regions – Kyiv, Zakarpattia, Volyn, Zaporizhzhia and Rivne regions. Data storage devices, draft records, money and other evidence were seized.

The investigation found that Pushilin organized the illegal seizure of firearms that did not belong to Russia and could not be considered trophies under international humanitarian law. He subsequently transferred the weapons under the guise of "rewards" to other individuals.

Pushilin was notified of suspicion of committing war crimes. The sanction provides for up to 12 years in prison. Investigations are ongoing into other participants in the scheme on the grounds of articles on illegal handling of weapons and the creation of a criminal organization. The maximum penalty is up to 10 years in prison.

• In the fall of 2025, the SBU announced suspicions of five Kremlin proteges under occupation, who deported 367 children from Ukraine.
• In December, the SBI reported suspicion of MP Oleh Voloshyn from the former OPFL because he was broadcasting Russian propaganda about Ukraine in Belarus.