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US DoS casting aspersions on detention of Ukrainian killer pilot in Russia

Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that Savchenko, a Ukrainian Army helicopter pilot, had been seized by “separatists” about a month ago and now she turned up in a Russian jail

© AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

WASHINGTON, July 09, /ITAR-TASS/. U.S. Department of State is making efforts to pass off the detention of Ukrainian female killer pilot Nadiya Savchenko in Russia as a testimony to the alleged connections between the self-defense forces fighting against government troops in Eastern Ukraine and the Russian authorities.

Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland claimed Wednesday the case in hand involved a clear violation of international legal norms and human rights.

She said that Savchenko, a Ukrainian Army helicopter pilot, had been seized by “separatists” about a month ago and now she turned up in a Russian jail.

This obviously proves that there exists an apparent connection between Russia and the separatists.

Vladimir Markin, an official spokesman for Russia’s Investigation Committee told Itar-Tass earlier Wednesday that Savchenko had crossed the Russian border disguised as a refugee and without any ID’s. She was detained in one of the population centers in Russia during a routine passport check for establishing her identity.

While making inquiries about it, the police found out that she was featured as a suspect in the case over the murder of reporters Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin in Eastern Ukraine last month.

Savchenko was detained in strict compliance with Russian legislation, Markin said.

Earlier in the day, the Investigations Committee had issued charges to Savchenko with complicity in the murder of Igor Kornelyuk and Antov Voloshin.

“It has been established that Savchenko is a servicewoman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and has the military specialty of gunner of a Mi-24 helicopter,” it said in a report.

“During combat operations near Luganks in June 2014, Savchenko joined the Aydar battalion,” it said. “Upon learning the coordinates of a group of reporters working for the All-Russia State Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) and other civilians near Lugansk, she transferred them to the Ukrainian militants, after which the latter opened fire from mortars, killing Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin.

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