Germany Extradites Ukrainian Border Guard Suspected of Killing Soldier
Germany has extradited to Ukraine a border guard suspected of premeditated murder of a serviceman who was trying to cross the border into Moldova illegally in 2024, at Ukraine's request. The case was announced by the specialized defense prosecutor's office of the Southern region, the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.
What happened in July 2024
Investigators established that on July 14, 2024, in the Odesa region, border guards stopped a taxi carrying four servicemen who had left their training unit without permission and were heading to the Moldovan border, which they planned to cross on foot. The car was stopped about 15 km from the border. Two passengers tried to flee. One was detained, and the pursuit continued after the other.
The detained man was left under the supervision of a border guard, to whom a colleague had handed his service pistol. According to the investigation, the border guard shot the detainee even though he posed no threat to the life or health of others. The man died on the spot. A few days later the border guard illegally crossed Ukraine's border and left for Germany.
Suspicion, international wanted list, extradition
Under the procedural supervision of the Odesa specialized prosecutor's office, the serviceman was notified in absentia of suspicion of premeditated murder and abuse of authority (Part 1 of Article 115 and Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code). He was put on the international wanted list and was handed over to the Ukrainian side at the Polish border on October 19, 2026. The court ordered detention without the right to bail.
On July 15, 2024, the State Border Guard Service reported that an attack had been made on a border detail on duty in the Odesa region and that one of the attackers had been shot dead. According to the service, paramedics called to the scene recorded the death of the offender and bodily injuries to a serviceman. The State Bureau of Investigation opened criminal proceedings into the death of the serviceman who had been trying to cross the Ukrainian-Moldovan border illegally.
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