"Confidential cooperation" with its country

It is this that Russia accuses Ukrainian Peter Opalnik. Here is his story

In July 2022, a new article 275.1 appeared in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - confidential cooperation with foreigners. In January 2023, a citizen of Ukraine and Russia, Petr Oparikov, was a handler and a builder, who, according to the FSB, tried to persuade the information about the places of deployment of Russian military equipment, its abduction and voluntary surrender. Now the disgrace is under arrest. Elena Skvortsova talked with his lawyers and relatives about why Peter moved to Russia, how he suffered a single imprisonment and why his mother was still not told about the arrest of her son.

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"Obtaining Russian citizenship is its decision"

Peter Opelnik was born in the village of Kleban, Vinnitsa region. In 2011, he came to work in the Russian city of Pestovo. The population of Pestovo is about 14 thousand people, many are busy in the construction sector: about 20 companies related to the production of materials for wooden houses work in Pestovo.

The disgrace received a patent and got a job as a Russian stand -up - he built wooden houses. He decided to stay in Pestovo for good: after eight years he received a residence permit, and in the summer of 2022 - citizenship of the Russian Federation.

Peter’s sister, Nadezhda, tells about the reaction of the family to this decision: “We were absolutely calm about this. Obtaining Russian citizenship is its decision, Petya wanted to stay there - we understood this. He did not become an enemy after that. Of course, my mother was afraid that after receiving citizenship he could be taken to war. But every mother will be afraid of this. ”

In Ukraine, an elderly mother, sister and daughter from her first marriage remained at the opal. Peter regularly called his relatives in the video, he sent gifts. On birthdays, he certainly congratulated immediately after midnight-they joked in the family that if Peter did not call immediately after the fight, then something happened.

Already in Russia, Opelnik met his future wife Svetlana. In 2014, the couple had a daughter Vladislav, and three years later, the couple divorced - Peter continued to communicate with his youngest daughter and paid child support.

In 2019, the life of the opal changed again: he met Irina, his current roommate, changed his job - he got a job as a manager for the sale of houses to a local company, and at the same time engaged in insurance. He moved to Irina’s apartment - in a two -story building for eight apartments with stove heating, the couple lived together until the beginning of 2023.

"The investigator was aware of my whole history of life"

On the morning of January 18, Irina and Peter were going to work. Irina left the house the first to warm up the car: “There was a car of security forces near the house, and when I closed the garage, I saw that Petra was delayed. Three special forces put him face on the ground, the fourth asked me to put my hands on the car. We were not allowed to talk to Peter, they didn’t let us say goodbye. ”

FSB officers took Peter to the car and began to wait for the arrival of investigators; After their appearance, a search began, while Peter did not bring Peter.

“When I read the resolution, the first impression was that they began to check all Ukrainians. Because there are a lot of them in the city, they all communicate with each other, and Peter knows almost all of them. He called up with them, of course, they discussed the situation that developed in Ukraine, ”says Irina.

According to her, the search was calm: two young people in the presence of the witnesses, whom they brought themselves, examined things and returned them back to their places. They asked if there were “prohibited means of communication” in the house, asked questions about the political views of the civil spouse of Irina. What threatens the term and where he will be taken further, Irina was not explained.

“I was so confused, I did not understand what they wanted from me,” she says. - It was not clear why they came to us. On the questions that they asked me, I realized that all our phones are listening. The investigator was aware of my whole story of life: with whom I communicate, where and when we left. He knew that Peter on the eve would not be at home: he was away. "

On the same day, searches took place at three addresses. The first is in the apartment of Irina’s mother, two more - at the addresses where other Ukrainian families lived.

“You will not see Peter for a long time and will not bathe together in the bathhouse,” said the FSB officers, who came home to Miroslav and Vasily - the friends of Peter Opalnik from Ukraine. Vasily is also engaged in construction and on this day was on the road outside the city. Miroslava was not reported about what exactly they are going to look for in the house.

“It was scary: people came in masks, said what Peter was suspected of, and began to find out my husband’s communion to the pet,” she says. - During the search, they examined different wires, equipment, electronics. They asked me several times why there was no computer in the house - this was suspicious of them. But I do not use the computer, I only have a phone. We examined the workshop of the husband, the basement, the attic, but they did not withdraw anything and did not call for interrogation. ”

On the evening of January 18, Peter Opelnik called Irina from the phone of the senior investigator - he tried to calm her down, said he was alive and well. Then the opal did not yet know that he would not return home soon: under Article 275.1 of the Criminal Code, he was threatened with three to eight years of the colony. According to investigators, Peter bowed the mobilized "to the state treason by providing the enemy with information about the locations of Russian military units and formations, the abduction and transfer of military equipment, voluntary surrender." What the investigation has evidence is not reported. Peter's family and friends are sure that he did not do what he was accused of.

Two days after this phone call, the court sent an opal to the pre -trial detention center. The defendant needs to date the investigator with relatives. The investigator in the case of the opal does not allow them.

"Cremage me, and send the ashes to mom"

Peter Opelnik spent the first two months in a single chamber. There he drawed a scheme of the house that he and Irina began to build for themselves before arrest - there was no calculator in the cell, so he did all the calculations in the column. He read books, played sports and wrote to Irina optimistic letters: “See you soon”, “Crushing”, “Hold on”, “missed”.

On March 17, the court was supposed to either extend the preventive measure, or change it to a softer one. Peter hoped that on this day they would say that he was innocent, and let him go home. However, the investigator’s petition for the extension of the arrest was satisfied, and Peter was returned to the camera of the Novgorod pre -trial detention center.

Later, when the opal found out how many years he threatens and what would happen next, he began to visit depressive thoughts. In the letters, he wrote: "Do not bury me, cremate me, and send the ashes to my mother - do not bury me on the Russian land." Mom still does not know about her son’s arrest: relatives told her only about the search and said that while Peter was unsafe to call Ukraine. The mother of Peter is 72 years old, and the family is afraid that she will not survive such news.

“After the connection with Peter disappeared, the first thought was - he was taken to the front,” says Nadezhda, Sister Peter. - There was not even thought of arrest. Of course, from our TV they say that everything is bad in Russia, citizens of Ukraine, more Crimeans, delay. But I did not believe that it really could be. I thought it was our propaganda. Now I saw on my own example ... Of course, we discussed by phone how we were doing, where we bombed. But for conversations should not be put in jail. He did not commit any offenses. "

Now the Opelnika will learn news about the family from letters. After the lawyers entered the case by agreement, Peter was transferred to another camera - now he has three neighbors with whom he has a good relationship. According to Irina, Peter feels better. He decided that he would fight to the end.