A dozen riot police officers from southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, who were fired for not complying with the order to invade Ukraine, are now set to fight a legal battle against their dismissal.
The Rosgvardia, or Russian national guard, officers from the Omon special unit had refused to follow the order from their squad leader to enter Ukraine on 25 February — a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of the neighbouring country, calling it a “special military operation”.
Calling the orders “illegal”, the 12 fighters explained that none of them carried a foreign passport, which would allow them to enter another country. Besides, they added, their duties did not allow them to leave Russia’s frontiers as their responsibilities were within the bounds of Russia, reported The Insider.
The fighters added that they abstained from participating in the Russian invasion as they were not informed about the need to go on a business trip to Ukraine for a special military operation. They were not told about the goals or conditions of the military action ordered, the report added.
“None of them had a passport with them, nor any intention of leaving the territory of Russia as their official duties were limited to the territory of the Russian Federation,” human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov said, adding that the police officers were within their rights to not follow the orders to enter Ukraine.
Mikhail Benyash, the lawyer representing the officers, said that these men did not want to kill or be killed, reported The Telegraph.
“Also, the Omon has a different function. They don’t know how to shoot ground-to-air gun systems,” he added. “They don’t drive tanks. What can they do against a regular army with a baton and a shield?”
The unit from the Krasnodar region of southern Russia had been deployed on what they thought was an exercise in Crimea when they were ordered to cross the border into Ukraine on 25 February.
Soon after, the 12 officers were fired from their positions and sent back to Krasnodar, prompting them to take legal action to get their jobs back.
Human rights lawyer Mr Chikov said the illegal act of crossing the state border is marked as a crime under the Russian Criminal Code’s Article 322. Additionally, armed groups could be held for numerous violations of the Ukrainian Criminal Code if caught for illegal entry, he said.
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