Profession: Exchange of prisoners

How the detained separatists are changed in the Donbass for the captured Ukrainian military

The Humanitarian Center for the Liberation of hostages has been created in Ukraine, which will be engaged in the exchange and release of prisoners in the Donbass. The decision on its creation was made after a series of exchanges held through the mediation of the Kyiv public organization "Officer Corps". One of the most prominent operations of the organization was carried out at the end of July, when the 40-year-old journalist of the Prochrevsky network television channel Anna-News and a close friend of the DPR Leaders Alexander Boroday and Igor Girkin Olga Kulygin , detained at one of the border crossings when trying to import a large amount of money to Ukraine, were exchanged for 17 Ukrainian officers and an exchange for Ukraine. civilians who were captured by the controller Gorlovka Igor Bezler.

The coordinating this exchange Vladimir Ruban says that his organization acts as an intermediary, since he has the opportunity to negotiate with representatives of self -proclaimed LPR and the DPR, as well as with other field commanders operating in the region. In total, according to the calculations of the recently created organization, the separatists have up to 800 people in captivity.

Vladimir Ruban

The fact that prisoners are exchanged in Ukraine is evidence that the armed conflict goes beyond the definition that Ukrainian legislation gives it: anti -terrorist operation. This is indirectly confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross. According to his representative in Moscow, Victoria Zotikova, despite the fact that the organization does not engage in the qualification of the conflict and itself does not call the war in the Donbass, the Red Cross called for international law in the Donbass in relation to the civilian population, wounded and prisoners. Vladimir Ruban , who has been exchanging prisoners in the Donbass for several months, calls what was happening in the east of Ukraine by war:

- In this war, it has already become traditional, although this is a bad word in this case, the ransom of hostages. The side of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics takes someone in captivity and offers relatives liberation for money: from 5 to 20 thousand dollars. The hostages are also captured for the purpose of ransom. As a rule, in such cases we are talking about businessmen, and the amounts vary to fabulous: 50-100 thousand and higher, up to 1 million.

- A rather large part of the hostages are either officers of the Ukrainian army or military personnel. Do they also require a ransom?

- In some cases, they require. Fighting is not just a police or police operation to free someone. Here is the front. Entire cities are held. There are people with machine guns on one and the other side. Accordingly, they die on both sides, become wounded and captured.

- You started your activities with the fact that you freed your friend. Why did you decide to continue negotiations on the exchange of other prisoners and detainees?

- Frankly, I did not plan to engage in this activity. This was an officer of our organization "Officer Corps", and, as the head of the organization, I was simply obliged to participate in his release. The state at that time was at a loss and did not know how to act, limited to bureaucratic subscriptions: yes, we are engaged, yes, we are negotiating, do not interfere. And I had constant contact with representatives of the DPR, and I understood that no one was negotiating. Then I had to spit on the state, gather officers, to move to Donetsk and enter into negotiations directly there. Of course, I had no exchange offers. I did not know and did not imagine how this would happen. But I knew that in order to save him, it was necessary to start talking about him. It was the main goal. We came to Donetsk for our own money, agreed that we would ensure some kind of security. Inquiries were made about me. And then they released [adviser to the National Security Council of Ukraine] Nikolai Yakubovich and four more seriously wounded. Two days later I fulfilled my promise and brought to Donetsk one of the leaders of the "stronghold" Leonid Baranov, who was released from the courtroom. And then friends turned, treated both sides, from Lugansk, from Donetsk. The party of Novorossia did not want to deal with anyone else, because they saw that I really resolved issues. If I need, then I call the FSB, SBU.

Almost every officer has contacts, there are friends in Russia, in the countries of the post -Soviet space

- Do you have such broad connections since the army in the army?

- I graduated from the Chernihiv flight school of fighters. In intelligence since 1987. Our organization has many scouts, representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the army. But there are a lot of people like me. Almost every officer has contacts, there are friends in Russia, in the countries of the post -Soviet space. As a rule, we either studied at some military schools, or together served or performed joint combat missions back in the USSR. We are no longer boys. Therefore, the contacts remained. We are not fighting with our friends. We do not transmit intelligence. We are engaged in the salvation of lives. And if some help is required for this, we ask for her and find her ...

-In the conditions of war, you still stand on different sides of the conditional front.

- Yes, I was called a traitor from two sides: the Ukrainian side, because I communicate with the opposite side, and from the opposite side I was called the traitor, because I also did not understand who I protect. People in the war require a one -sided vision. Either the enemy or friend. We adhere to neutrality, peacekeeping. Therefore, we have a status outside, if I may say so, war. We are in the war, we cross the front line, we risk getting bullets on both sides. So it was already: they shot, and captured, and passed through the minefields. But we are experienced and, like veterans, we know how to act correctly, what can be promised and what is impossible. We do not make promises on behalf of the government, the Ukrainian army, we do not give guarantees about actions, for example, the "Lugansk People's Republic." We fought at one time and now adhere to peacekeeping status. Our logo is the same as that of the UN-white and white.

- You say that you were captured. Does this happen with negotiators too?

- This happened during the first operation to release the prisoners. We achieved the release of hostages, and we had to go to Kyiv to agree on a transfer with the Ukrainian side. Another officer and I bought tickets for the train Donetsk - Kyiv. At the station, our passports noticed. And when after 4 hours the train went, people with machine guns entered it and we were kidnapped: we put bags on their heads and took them to the regional administration of the city of Donetsk. They brought to the 3rd floor, put to their knees, put knives to the throat and pistols. They crushed us a little, but tolerant. They found out who we are and where.

They brought to the 3rd floor, put to their knees, put knives to the throat and pistols. They crushed us a little, but tolerant. Found out who we are and where

- You were released on the same day and were not kept in the basement, like some other hostages?

- Yes, they did not hold us in the basement. They began to find out, and we asked to turn to the detachment to which we came and which ensured our security. And subsequently, the clarification began between these detachments. In the end, we were brought back to the station. But we had to spend the night in Donetsk. It was May 8. And the next day, May 9, the German Embassy asked for help to evacuate the Germans' family from Slavyansk.

- They say that you have security letters from Andrei Purgin from the DPR and Valery Bolotov from the LPR. How did you get them?

- I have confirmation from the Ukrainian authorities, by which I can represent Ukraine in negotiations. I was handed exactly the same document in Donetsk and Lugansk regions. According to these letters, I can accompany the columns, I can move around the territory of Ukraine and specifically in the combat zone. And all commanders of combat detachments on both sides are recommended to contribute and promote my movement.

- Under what circumstances did you receive such letters? Did this need some kind of check?

- I was checked for a long time - back in the early days. And I received them 1.5 months ago. Before that, we went without them.

- What was this check?

- I checked the FSB, probably through its channels. But my officers and me by that time managed to prove the business how we act.

- How did you meet Igor Bezler controling Gorlovka? Thanks to this acquaintance, 17 hostages were released. How did the negotiation process go?

- At first there were several simple telephone conversations. And when the first exchange with Olga Kulygina came to a dead end, the Ukrainian side did not pick up the phone for three days when he called Bezler, and did not talk to him. He probably had no other options left, and through his assistant he invited me to him. I went to him in a taxi three times in the evening and, unfortunately, only received information from Bezler, he studied me. I had to transmit information through my channels to those who were engaged in the exchange and release of Kulygina. But they, unfortunately, unsuccessfully coped with this, and they were removed from the exchange. By this time, I had already gained some experience, and I was set by the negotiator to Bezler. Then he showed me a video of the execution [of two Ukrainian officers], and I was forced to inform the SBU about this in a short time and receive information on further actions. It was at 21:00, and at 23:45 I had to call Bezler. I could not

Bezler invited me, showed the living "executed", but took the officer’s word from me that I would not tell anyone that they were alive

Get through. And at 23:45 I called him and said that I could not fulfill his requirement, even transmit information, but I will continue to call until morning. He asked him not to shoot, wait and not shoot officers [Bezler promised to shoot eight]. At 12 o’clock he had to start shooting the rest. According to him. So it all started. Then Bezler invited me, showed the living "executed", but took the officer’s word from me that I would not tell anyone that they were alive. Therefore, I got a triple addiction. I could not tell the wives of those executed to tell the truth that their husbands are alive. And I had to communicate with my wives. They called. This is a complex psychological stress. But then after some time Bezler could not stand it and he himself declared them alive. And then we continued. I was interested in pulling out officers. When there were 5 people, the Ukrainian side gave the go -ahead to exchange, but I proposed to increase this number. First, up to 15, and then until 17. Then there was an operation to release.

To free Olga Kulygina, Igor Bezler shot a staged execution of two Ukrainian officers

- In an interview, you said that real professionals are fighting in the Donbass, and you won’t take them from the scab. ” What did you mean by the word "professionals"?

- By the word "professionals" I mean that on the other side the leaders of combat detachments with decent preparation and sufficient combat skills. In military art, they are quite free. Therefore, it is necessary to call the war war. It cannot be called a special anti -terrorism operation. This is a war, and you must act according to military rules. On the other side is not just a bandit, on the other side of the miner who took a gun or machine gun, and now professional military citizens of Ukraine and Russia who are improving their skills. In order to win in order not to lose, the enemy must be respected.

- It does not seem to you that the more you exchange people, the more separatists have a desire to take prisoners in the hope of changing them for their detained supporters?

- We discussed these issues with the separatists, with the Lugansk and Donetsk side. We tell them that we will not pick up everyone in a row they are captured. Therefore, initially we agreed that we will treat the prisoners not as a product, but we will treat them as during wartime. We do not take all the prisoners. We do not take random people who are slipped to us. We initially agreed on this. For my part, I also double -check people.

What should be in the first place: the imperfection of the law or a saved life? Saved life

- As a result of the exchange, people who, according to Ukrainian laws, must appear before the court. And they are released from a pre -trial detention center to exchange for officers of the Ukrainian army. Leonid Baranov, one of the leaders in prisoners of war and refugees of a self -proclaimed DPR, was in prison, and then he was released to take an exchange.

- We do not have such a thing as the exchange of prisoners of war. We do everything we can. What should be in the first place: the imperfection of the law or a saved life? Saved life. Therefore, I avoid commenting on the imperfection of the law, ”said Vladimir Ruban, who is engaged in the release and exchange of prisoners in the Donbass. The hostage center created by him is going to coordinate work with the international organizations of the OSCE, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross and, in addition to main activities, plans to accompany the delivery of humanitarian goods and medicines to the war zone.