Igor Girkin (Strelkov), a Russian terrorist and former so-called Minister of Defense of the DPR [the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic – ed.] has returned from the occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast to the Russian Federation.

Source: Girkin on Telegram

Quote: "I am in Moscow. Attempt number three to take direct part in hostilities against the Armed Forces of our dear Kyiv partners (they are now called some kind of "militants" in the reports of the Russian Ministry of Defence) did not end in success, although it had been very close to it."

Details: According to Girkin, at the end of the first 10 days of October, he arrived in the territory of temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, appeared in one of the "military commissariats" of the Russian-backed separatists, where he wrote a statement with a request for "voluntary conscription to the ranks of the DPR".

Allegedly, he was enlisted in the "marching company of the N-th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 1st corps of the DPR for further assignment to an unnamed battalion of the N-th rifle regiment".

He has received the appropriate temporary certificate (see photo).

Girkin further claims that during a number of work trips, he had visited the Russian-occupied Donetsk several times; in November, he was near the town of Svatove [Luhansk Oblast], where "for a little more than 10 days he tried to perform the duties of the battalion chief of staff".

As he says, he did not come under any fire.

According to the terrorist, at the end of November, he was surprised to find out that he was not hold any post in his battalion, and was not listed in the staff of the N-regiment at all.

Girkin accused the so-called "command" of the regiment and battalion of fraud.

After some more wanderings, he allegedly handed over the assault rifle, pistol, grenades and ammunition (the battalion is not at the front or even in the near-front zone and it is unknown when it will be there and whether it will be there at all) and "went where he thought fit."

According to him, late in the evening on 5 December, he returned to Moscow.

Previously: In October, it was reported that Girkin (Strelkov) probably went to fight in Ukraine, with tens of thousands of dollars promised for his capture. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine offered the reward of US$100,000 for the transfer of Igor Girkin (Strelkov) to Ukrainian captivity.

The District Court of The Hague has found Igor Girkin and his subordinates Sergei Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko guilty in the case of the downing of the MH17 airliner. The court sentenced them to life imprisonment in absentia and ordered their arrest.

Background:

• In 2014, Girkin and a group of militants seized state buildings in the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast. After that, a group of the Security Service of Ukraine Alpha unit had been attacked in the area of Sloviansk. Military operations also started during this period.
• Following the complete surrounding of Sloviansk by the servicemen of the operation in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts [formerly know as the Anti-Terror Operation, or ATO -ed.] on the night of 5 July 2014, Girkin and the militants had fled to Donetsk.
• Later, Girkin accused Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov that he had to resign as "Defence Minister" of the non-existent DPR and go to Russia.

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