The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have documented new crimes committed by Armen Sarkisian, a crime lord from Donetsk region who is hiding in the temporarily occupied part of the region and cooperates with russia’s federal security service.

This person (known as ‘Armen Horlivskyi‘) is close to the fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych and has been on the international wanted list since May 2014 for organizing murders in the centre of Kyiv.

After the full-scale invasion, the criminal was tasked by the FSB to create a new armed formation for the war against Ukraine.

The militant group, headed by Sarkisian, was named the ‘separate special purpose battalion ArBAT’.

The unit is mainly made up of repeat offenders convicted of murder, robbery and other serious crimes.

To recruit prisoners, the russian service appointed Sarkisian as the so-called ‘overseer’ of prisons in the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region.

According to SSU Counterintelligence, ArBAT initially fought in Toretsk sector. Later, the grouping was transferred to Kursk region to storm positions of Ukraine’s Defence Forces.

In addition, Sarkisian uses controlled companies to purchase thermal imagers, fuel and construction materials for the occupiers at the front line.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators notified the criminal of suspicion in absentia under the Articles of the CCU:

• 111-1.7 (voluntary participation in illegal armed or paramilitary groups or assistance to such groups in conducting warfare against the Armed Forces of Ukraine);
• 28.3, 111-2.1 (aiding the aggressor state, committed by an organized group, upon prior conspiracy).

Efforts are underway to bring the offender to justice for his crimes against our Ukraine.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Donetsk and Luhansk regions jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s Office.