Arrr! A rogue Ruskie, claimin' to be a former Wagner Group mate, be offerin' so-called proof of Ukraine's war crimes, me hearties!
2023-12-19
Arrr! Word be spreadin' that a Russian landlubber hath docked in the Netherlands, shoutin' 'bout some evidence o' war crimes. Claims he wants to parley with the International Criminal Court, savvy?
A Russian claiming to be a former officer with the Wagner Group has arrived in the Netherlands and says he wants to provide evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding atrocities in the war in Ukraine. Igor Salikov, who flew into the Netherlands, claims to have been in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 during the conflict. He stated, "I know where the orders came from," although these claims have not been independently verified. The Wagner Group, a military contractor created by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, was deployed to eastern Ukraine in 2014 and also participated in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prigozhin had staged a brief mutiny in June before being killed in an air crash in August. The ICC issued an international arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, alleging his responsibility for child abduction from Ukraine. Salikov also claims to have information about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. Although the Joint Investigation Team found "strong indications" that Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons, they had insufficient evidence to prosecute him or any other suspects, suspending their inquiry. The team stated they would be interested in receiving specific and reliable inside information on the chain of command that authorized the Buk TELAR missile system that shot down MH17. Although the active investigation into the MH17 incident was halted in February, the team remains committed to the investigation and welcomes Russian insider witnesses.