Considered one of Vladimir Putin‘s most vital officers has vowed to testify in opposition to the Russian president.
Igor Salikov is a former colonel of the Russian Defense Ministry’s military intelligence service (GRU), who additionally beforehand labored a senior teacher inside the Wagner Group.
The previous Redut commander, in keeping with Dutch public broadcaster NPO1, has opted to testify about Russia‘s conflict crimes in Ukraine on the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) in The Hague.
Reviews say Salikov witnessed “false flag operations” in Donbas and “atrocities in opposition to civilians” together with the torture and execution of prisoners of conflict.
Different crimes he claims to have seen included the kidnapping of kids who had been “transported throughout the border to Belarus”.
Salikov left Russia alongside his household in June 2022, flying to South Africa’s Cape City after which on to the Netherlands. He now intends to hunt political asylum.
Throughout an interview with the Dutch broadcaster, the 60-year-old stated: “I’ve seen folks from the key providers take giant numbers of kids with out mother and father throughout the border into Belarus.”
POLITICO reported that Salikov stated the alleged conflict crimes had been carried out on the orders of the Ministry – in addition to coming straight from Putin’s places of work.
Again in March an arrest warrant was issued for Putin by the ICC over the claims concerning the switch of kids to Russia after the nation invaded Ukraine.
Kyiv and different European and Western allies have continued to push for a tribunal to be able to examine Russia‘s “crimes of aggression” throughout the conflict.
In line with Salikov, he left Russia after refusing to hold out an order to execute civilians and that he had “misplaced religion within the Russian trigger”.
It comes as Putin introduced he was keen to speak a few peace deal – a declare Western officers consider will solely occur after the US presidential election in November.
Putin instructed his closet allies in a gathering: “In Ukraine, those that are aggressive in direction of Russia, and in Europe and in the USA – do they need to negotiate?
“Allow them to. However we are going to do it primarily based on our nationwide pursuits. We won’t surrender what’s ours.”