The SBU has collected evidence against Russian war criminal Andrey Popov, who works as the head of the society for assistance to the Russian army, aviation and navy in the temporarily occupied Crimea. He is accused of preparing local schoolchildren to participate in the war against Ukraine.
A war criminal who prepares schoolchildren for war has been charged
54-year-old Popov heads an organization where children, mostly 14 years old, are taught military training. They are taught to act in the occupiers' assault groups, as well as:
- control drones;
- shoot various types of weapons;
- overcome minefields.
For this, training grounds and military centers in the Simferopol area are used.
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In addition to combat skills, schoolchildren are subjected to propaganda in order to incite hatred towards Ukraine.
Now Popov, on the orders of the Russian Minister of Defense, is creating a new branch of the occupation organization in temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhia Oblast.
The defendant regularly appears on Kremlin TV channels, where he reports on the implementation of orders.
According to the investigation, Popov supported Russian aggression in 2014 and received a position in the occupation administration.
The SBU informed him in absentia of suspicion of committing war crimes (the maximum punishment is — up to 12 years in prison) and justification of aggression against Ukraine (punishment in the form of imprisonment from five to eight years with confiscation of property).
The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are working to bring Popov to justice.
