Donetsk, Apr 2 - DAN. Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko and his associates must bear personal responsibility for the activity of illegal paramilitary formations which emerged with their help or connivance, Prosecutor of the Ukrainian People’s Tribunal for investigating the Poroshenko regime’s war crimes against Ukrainian citizens Sergey Kozhemyakin told the Donetsk News Agency on Monday.

“Petr Poroshenko, Alexander Turchinov, Arsen Avakov and others are personally responsible for war crimes, acts of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Donbass by illegal paramilitary and armed formations,” Kozhemyakin said. “The accused committed the acts punishable under Ukraine’s Criminal Code.”

Kozemyakin named the following Ukrainian Criminal Code articles and the penalties they carry:


  • Article 260, Parts 1 - 6, setting up illegal paramilitary or armed formations, control of these formations, their funding, delivery of weapons, ammunition, explosives or military equipment to them (five to ten years in prison with property confiscation);

  • Article 27 and 257, Part 5 abetting banditry (five to 15 years in prison with property confiscation);

  • Article 27 and 258, Part 5 abetting the perpetration of acts of terror (five to ten years or life imprisonment with property confiscation)

  • Article 258-5, Part 3 funding of terrorism (ten to 12 years in prison with a ban to have certain positions or engage in certain activity for up to three years, with property confiscation).


Earlier on Monday, the UPT heard the second batch of charges concerning the crimes committed by illegal paramilitary formations. On March 26 and 27, the Ukrainian People’s Tribunal charged eight Poroshenko regime officials with the use of armed forces against civilians: the Ukrainian president, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, National Security and Defence Council Secretary Alexander Turchinov, Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko, Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak, parliament speaker Andrey Parubiy and former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

The UPT set up by the initiative group of Ukrainian citizens living in Donetsk and Lugansk, will review cases in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and norms of international law.*jk