Slovak charged with fighting in eastern Ukraine: report

The Slovak man, identified only as Mario R., is believed to have been fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region on the side of the Russian-backed separatists since 2015, Poland’s niezalezna.pl has reported, citing Slovak police.

The suspect, who has been charged in absentia, faces from two to eight years in prison under a law enacted in Slovakia in 2016, according to the Polish news website.

The niezalezna.pl website quoted Slovak police as saying in a statement that the accusations faced by Mario R. marked the first time authorities in Slovakia have charged anyone for fighting in Ukraine against that country's army.

Meanwhile, Poland's foreign ministry has condemned elections that it said were "allegedly" held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday.

"Poland does not acknowledge any actions undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the foreign ministry in Warsaw said in a statement that day.

(gs/pk)

Source: niezalezna.pl