Ex-Terrorist Group Member Tries To Join Ukraine Military, Gets Exposed

An individual who tried to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been detained after officials found that he had previously been a former member of a terrorist group, the country's Security Service said Tuesday.

Officials for the SSU’s Counterintelligence unit said a pre-trial investigation revealed that the man, whose name was not released, joined the DNR militant organization in 2019 where he served for a year. The individual later went to Russia and from there entered a Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The man applied to join the Ukrainian army in 2021 and was set to train in an airborne assault unit deployed near the northern city of Zhytomyr. He was detained by SSU investigators on suspicion of “participation in a terrorist group or terrorist organization” and “participation in an unlawful armed group,” according to a press release.

The suspect was captured by the SSU Counterintelligence and Investigative units in partnership with the Zhytomyr Specialized Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Central Region.

This development comes as Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday claimed Moscow’s forces have taken control of 97% of the Luhansk province in the eastern Donbas region. Ukrainian officials also said Russian forces have occupied roughly half of the Donetsk province, bringing the Kremlin closer to its goal of taking over the Donbas region.

Elsewhere in Ukraine's eastern region, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces are still holding out in the city of Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk despite being outnumbered by Russian forces.

If both Severodonetsk and Lysychansk fall under Russian occupation, it would mean the capture of the eastern Luhansk region for the Kremlin.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February as part of President Vladimir Putin’s plan to “demilitarize and de-Nazify” Kyiv. However, Russian forces pulled back from the Kyiv region in March after facing fierce resistance from Ukrainian fighters. Since then, Russia has focused its military efforts on capturing eastern Ukraine.

The fighting in the eastern region recently led to the death of two high-ranking Russian military officials, including Maj. Gen. Roman Kutuzov and Lt. Gen. Roman Berdnikov. The Kremlin has only officially confirmed the death of Kutuzov.