In Ukraine, charges have been filed against a former military officer who defected to Russia and became a major general
A former servicemember of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who defected to Russia following the occupation of Crimea and continued his military career in the Russian Armed Forces, has been charged in absentia with treason and desertion. According to the investigation, he currently holds the rank of major general and commands a motorized rifle division of the Russian Armed Forces.
The charges were brought under Part 1 of Article 111 and Part 1 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—treason and desertion. The procedural actions were carried out by the Zhytomyr Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs of the Central Region, in cooperation with the Zhytomyr Regional Office of the Security Service of Ukraine, with operational support from the 9th Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, in 2014 the suspect served in the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the rank of captain. He held the position of chief of staff—first deputy commander—of one of the military units stationed in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
After the occupation of the peninsula, the servicemember received an order from his command to redeploy personnel to Mykolaiv. However, according to law enforcement officials, he did not arrive at his designated duty station; instead, he remained in the temporarily occupied territory and voluntarily defected to the enemy.
The man subsequently began military service in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the suspect continued his military career in the Russian army and, according to the investigation, participated in combat operations against Ukraine.
At various times, he held command positions in Russian units, including commanding motorized rifle regiments and a brigade.
Since May 2025, the suspect has held the position of commander of a motorized rifle division in the combined-arms army of the “North” military group of the Russian Armed Forces. In this position, he holds the military rank of major general.
According to the investigation, through these actions, the man undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and defense capability.
Currently, the former servicemember has been dismissed from military service, removed from the personnel rosters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and placed on the wanted list.
At the same time, in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.
This was reported by the press service of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs of the Central Region.
Earlier, the SBU’s Counterintelligence Service detained a woman in the Dnipropetrovsk region who is suspected of directing Russian missile and drone attacks on defense enterprises and volunteer centers. According to the investigation, she also gathered information about the consequences of previous shelling in the region.
