Ukrainian Territorial Defense Command launches probe into commander's alleged ties to 'DPR'
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The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Command has launched a service investigation into the commander of the 107th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion, Serhiy Salavatov, following allegations of his possible ties to the "DPR" and "LPR" terrorist organizations. Salavatov has been temporarily suspended from his duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
The command stated that they do not have specific information about Salavatov but have requested competent authorities to confirm or refute the allegations.
On Wednesday, hromadske published a report on Salavatov, presenting several screenshots from his social media accounts dating back to 2014. The journalists noted that these were the only recoverable posts, as his social media accounts have since been cleaned.
In a conversation with hromadske, Salavatov claimed that he was not interested in politics in 2014 and that pro-Russian posts on his page were made by his ex-wife.
"I was only listening to music on 'Odnoklassniki.' I had a wife, and someone could have posted something... I was involved in the car business before the war... I had a lot of work. I didn't have time for politics," Salavatov claimed.
The journalists also highlighted photographs posted by Salavatov a decade ago, showing him wearing a green beret with the insignia of the French Foreign Legion (2nd Foreign Regiment, which has not existed for several decades).
Another photo shows him with an AR-15 rifle, and another with a Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD). Salavatov alleged that both the uniform and the weapons were for airsoft games.
However, the journalists pointed out that the photos were taken in the spring of 2014, when Salavatov lived in Kramatorsk, where fighting took place from April 12 to July 5. They noted that during this period, so-called militia members could have used weapons similar to combat weapons.
The journalists also obtained data on Salavatov's phone connections from 2014. From May to June 2014, he communicated with Mezhlum Damirchan, a collaborator of the "DPR Interior Ministry" who is wanted by the Security Service of Ukraine.
Another contact was Anton Kalchenko, a fighter from the Rusich formation within the "DPR" terrorist organization. Additionally, Salavatov spoke with Alexander Alekseev, a member of the General Assembly" in Kramatorsk, which was involved in creating the "people's militia." Salavatov claimed he did not know these individuals and suggested they might have been clients of his car business.
The editorial team also asserted that on May 12 and 13, 2014, Salavatov made two calls to hotlines for enlisting in the "DPR people's militia" and participated in the "referendum" to support the terrorists that year.