Ukraine has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the unrecognized Transnistrian region, Vitaliy Ignatyev, on suspicion of collaborationist activities and encroachment on Ukraine's territorial integrity.
This was reported by Moldova Liberă. He is also listed in the wanted database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
On January 9, it became known that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) summoned Ukrainian citizen Vitaliy Ignatyev for questioning. Ignatyev is known as the "Minister of Foreign Affairs" of the so-called "Transnistrian Moldovan Republic."
This decision was made due to suspicion of the "official" engaging in collaborationist activities and encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In particular, he refused to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine and in 2014 stated that Russia's occupation of Crimea "once again confirmed its high status and authority as a state."
Vitaliy Ignatyev is suspected under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Article 110, Part 1 - Encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to five years with possible confiscation of property. It is alleged that Ignatyev publicly called for actions aimed at changing the state borders of Ukraine.
- Article 111-1, Part 6 - Collaborationism, punishable by imprisonment for a term of ten to twelve years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions. Under this article, Ignatyev is suspected of engaging in informational activities in cooperation with the aggressor state and its occupation administration.
Background: Vitaliy Ignatyev is a native of the Odessa region and a citizen of Ukraine. From 2012 to 2015, he was a member of the Joint Control Commission on behalf of Tiraspol, and since 2016, he has headed the "foreign policy department" in Tiraspol.
