A resident of Chervonoe in the Kherson region has been detained on suspicion of participating in the activities of an armed formation labeled the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Chelebidzhikhan, according to a statement from Russia’s FSB press service.
Officials claim the individual joined the organization as a volunteer in 2016 and actively participated in its operations. The statement indicates one of the group’s aims was to impose an energy and water blockade on the Republic of Crimea. It also asserts that members of the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion violated the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and engaged in armed actions to restore the peninsula to Ukraine.
The press service noted that a criminal case has been opened against the suspect under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The charge involves participation in an armed formation with goals that run counter to the country’s interests.
The individual has reportedly confessed to involvement. He described participating in the transfer of members of the Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion to checkpoints along facilities situated on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
In a related development, a woman detained in the Donetsk People’s Republic was held on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack.
These reports come amid ongoing tensions and enforcement actions related to armed groups operating in and around border regions.