Ukraine has publicized the names of Russian commanders involved in the annexation of Crimea

Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko has named the Russian army commanders involved in the annexation of Crimea.

“The information that I can disclose at this stage of the investigation is a list of individuals who agitated Ukrainian troops to desert to the enemy armed forces of the Russian Federation during the annexation of the Crimean peninsula. They are Galkin (Commander of the Southern Military District, Colonel General), Kulikov (Deputy Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral), Mirnov (Deputy Chief of the BSF’s Communications Center) Ostrikov (Chief of the Coastal Armies of the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, Major General) and a number of others,” said Petrenko.

Responding to a question about the evidence of the preparation to seize Crimea, Petrenko said that they had been already added to the lawsuit for the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concerning the annexation of the peninsula.

“We have received evidence from secret services, witnesses and the Defense Ministry. All the signs are that the active phase of the plan to seize Crimea had been implementing since 2013. And Yanukovych (ex-President of Ukraine — ed.) was aware for sure. He could not have been unaware as President,” said Petrenko.