POW Negotiator Vladimir Ruban Arrested with Weapons; One Ukrainian Soldier Wounded in Battle

Vladimir Ruban, head of the Officer Corps Center to Release POWs was arrested at the Mayorsk checkpoint and arms in his vehicle were seized, Liga.net reported, citing Heorgiy Tuka, deputy minister of issues of the occupied territories.

“Under guise of a settler, this ‘general’ tried to bring in a whole arsenal of arms which were hidden in furniture,’ Tuka said on his Facebook page.

Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsennko said Ruban would not be released, and the detention was not “accidental,” in a comment on Facebook.

A video was uploaded allegedly showing the weapons in Ruban’s possession. 

Ruban has conducted negotiations with the Russia-backed forces to obtain the release of POWs, although the Ukrainian government announced back in 2016 that Ruban did not have the rank of general, and was not authorized to do so.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were arrested for “hooliganism” and use of firearms near Slavyansk, Liga.net reported.

The International Committee of the Red Cross sent in 220 tons of humanitarian aid to Donetsk Region, Liga.net reported.

Liga.net reported that the Ukrainian Military Prosecutor said that since the start of the war in April 2014, 56 cases of state treason have been opened.

One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the previous reporting period, and there were three attacks with heavy machine guns near Troitskoye and Luganskoye.

— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick