Detained former president of Motor Sich asks to go to Russia in POW exchange
Former President of Ukraine’s major defense
contractor Motor Sich, Vyacheslav
Bohuslaev, currently in detention over his suspected collaboration with
Moscow, has asked to be exchanged in future POW swaps with Russia, Radio
Liberty reported on May 10.
According to the journalists, Bohuslaev penned a letter with the request, pleading with the Head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak. The letter highlights Bohuslaev’s advanced age and poor health.
"I ask to be included in (POW) exchange list with the Russian Federation," he wrote.
Based on the accompanying letter from his lawyer, the former president of Motor Sich made the request on March 20.
“Ukraine will continue to use all available tools to return our prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians from the aggressor state,” said Ukrainian Military Intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov.
“But as for specific cases and names – we could only comment based on results.”
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak previously did not rule out exchanging Bohuslaev.
Ukraine’s SBU security service detained Bohuslaev on Oct. 22, 2022. He's suspected of working for Russia, specifically when it came to supplying Moscow with aircraft engines made by Motor Sich. Bohuslaev has held Russian citizenship since 2000, and a flat in Moscow since 2002.
On March 28, Bohuslaev was charged with obstructing the work of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. According to the prosecution, he ordered his subordinates to remove rotor blades from helicopters in storage at Motor Sich, rendering them useless to Ukrainian forces.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
