Donetsk, Feb 9 – DAN. DPR military prosecutors filed a criminal case over the 8 February terrorist attack in which DPR Hero, Somali unit commander Colonel Mikhail Tolstykh (call sign Givi) was killed.
“The Main Military Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings under Criminal Code Article 229 (“act of terror”), a State Security Ministry (MGB) officer told Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.
“Investigation is ongoing; circumstances of the case have already been ascertained. The investigators have preliminary information on perpetrators,” he added.
Tolstykh was killed early on 8 February morning in an explosion of a round of man-portable rocket flamethrower Shmel. DPR Operations Command said Ukrainian secret services were behind the assassination and that Zoryan Shkiryak, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister, might be involved.
Mikhail Tolstykh was born in Ilovaisk in 1980. He served in Ukrainian armed forces. He joined DPR militia from the very beginning of Donbass war, participating in the battles for Slavyansk, Ilovaisk and Donetsk airport. A DPR Hero, Tolstykh was decorated with two St George Crosses and “For Slavyansk Defence” medal. He survived several assassination attempts and was wounded in battles several times. *jk