Ukrainian authorities launched two criminal proceedings against popular Russian actor Mikhail Porechenkov after a video surfaced showing him firing at the Donetsk Airport with what appears to be a Russian-made 50-caliber Kord heavy machine gun together with Kremlin-backed insurgents.
Posted on Oct.30 by
NovorossiyaTV, the YouTube channel of the self-styled Donetsk and Luhansk republics,
the video features
Porechenkov shooting while wearing a helmet marked with press insignia.
In a separate video published
on YouTube on Oct. 30, the actor appears on ANNA News together with former
Party of Regions lawmaker Ihor Markov during which the latter says that he had
just picked up Porechenkov from “the front lines at the Donetsk airport where
he was shooting at them (Ukrainian soldiers).” Russian-backed insurgents
control a part of the airport, which is presumably where the Novorossiya TV
video was shot.
The actor, who is known
for his commando military roles in Russian films, is accused of creating
illegal military units and participating in terrorist activity of the self-proclaimed
Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) by Ukraine’s State Security Service and
Interior Ministry. The alleged crimes carry a prison sentence of seven to 12
years and from 8 eight to 15 years, respectively, according to the Ukrainian
criminal code.
The Security Service
also announced it has evidence that Porechenkov used firearms to hunt civilians
in Donetsk. “We have evidence that Porechenkov not only committed
crimes in Donetsk airport. He also organized a ‘safari,’ during which he shot
at civilians,” an advisor to the SBU chief, Markiyan Lubkivsky, told
112.Ukraine TV channel on Oct.31. According to Lubkivsky, Porechenkov paid
militants $50,000 – $1,000 each for organizing the alleged chase.
Myroslav Rudenko,
vice-speaker of the Supreme Council of DNR, told Interfax news agency that the
video with the actor was staged and Porechenkov didn’t take part in real
military action. Meanwhile, in his Oct.31 interview with Ekho Moskvy, a Moscow-based
radio station, Porechenkov called the ordeal an “unfortunate story.” He avoided
questions about the direction in which he was shooting and said he didn’t intentionally
put the helmet with press insignia on.
“First of all, I didn’t
see any insignia (on the helmet). Then that story about me shooting was blown
up…You know, there are a lot of photos showing me with guns and that’s why
they start commenting on that situation in a way that is terrible. It’s not
right,” Porechenkov said.
When asked why he decided
to visit Donetsk, Porechenkov said he came to bring medicine to a hospital and
show residents of the city his new movie, which was banned from screening in
Ukraine in July by the State Agency on Movie Issues citing misinterpretation of
facts in favor of Russia and neglect of the Ukrainian language.
The Organization for
Security and Co-Operation of Europe also condemned the incident.
“This is a deplorable
and shameful abuse of press insignia. It puts journalists in conflict zones at
grave risk and it is detrimental to all efforts made to protect members of the
media”, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said.
Porechenkov
might be put on a wanted list soon while international law enforcement might be
engaged to work on the case, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on
Oct.31. “Investigators are sure that with such evident proof of the crime, international
police (Interpol) will support putting (Porechenkov) on a wanted list and he
will not be able to move around the world beyond the borders of Russia unless
he is arrested and extradited to Ukraine,” Avakov said.
