{"id":264000,"date":"2024-02-13T15:15:45","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T13:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/?p=264000"},"modified":"2024-02-22T16:27:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T14:27:54","slug":"soldaty-putina-oleg-roslyakov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/en\/investigations\/264000\/","title":{"rendered":"Oleg Roslyakov: Putin\u2019s Volunteer Soldier"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It is well known that Russian retired officers, including officers of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, played an important role in Russian occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. They were used to discipline and were well aware about location of troops of the Ukrainian Navy. They readily participated in taking \u00abthe city of Russian sailors\u00bb and the Crimean peninsula under Russian control. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Center of Journalist Investigations has already covered the activity of <\/strong>Mikhail Chaly, reserve Captain of the second rank<\/strong><\/a>, who headed so-called \u00abCoordination Council of Sevastopol\u00bb, Russian body, managing Sevastopol since February 23, 2014, after overthrow of Ukrainian authorities.\u00a0 Oleg Roslyakov, retired Colonel, has been his direct subordinate. He has headed \u00abHeadquarters of self-defense of Sevastopol\u00bb in February-March 2014 and coordinated pro-Russian illegal military units. Our new issue of special project \u00ab<\/strong>Putin\u2019s schutzmanns<\/strong><\/a>\u00bb explores his activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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As the head of \u00abHeadquarters of self-defense of Sevastopol<\/a>\u00bb, Oleg Roslyakov followed orders of Mikhail Chaly. The latter received orders from the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Therefore, Roslyakov bears responsibility for all crimes committed by above mentioned pro-Russian illegal military units: illegal detainment, abduction and beating of Ukrainian and foreign citizens, blockade of Ukrainian military units, violating rights of journalists, \u00abfiltering\u00bb at illegal checkpoints etc.<\/p>\n

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Oleg Roslyakov as the head of regiment of Marine Corps of the Black Sea Fleet. Photo: sevastopol.su<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Oleg Yuriyovych Roslyakov <\/strong>was in the family of army officer on December 17, 1952 in the Russian city of Vladivostok (Far East). In 1974, he graduated from Soviet Far East High Military School. He has served in the Russian Black Sea Fleet from 1974 until 2003. He participated in real combat operations in Angola, Ethiopia, Indian Ocean and in Mediterranean Sea. He has been commander of the regiment of Russian marines of the 810th<\/sup> brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (Sevastopol) for five years. The regiment has been praised as the best of the Fleet during three years. Roslyakov also participated in the \u00abantiterrorist operation\u00bb against Chechnya.<\/p>\n

In 2001, Vladimir Putin awarded him Order \u00abFor Military Merits\u00bb on board the cruiser \u00abMoscow\u00bb at the celebration of the Day of the Russian Navy in Sevastopol. Roslyakov retired as the Colonel in two years after Putin\u2019s award.<\/p>\n

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Oleg Roslyakov and Vladimir Putin. 2001. Photo: sevastopol.su<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Then, he worked as the director of Sevastopol branch of Saratov State Socio-Economic University and came back to his 810th<\/sup> brigade of marines \u2013 as the \u00abcivilian\u00bb head of the guard.<\/p>\n

As many Russian retired officers in Sevastopol and Crimea, Roslyakov received Ukrainian passport, though, he kept being Russian citizen and reserve Captain of the Russian Armed Forces. Ukrainian policy towards citizenship in Crimea, with Russian military base, has been shortsighted during thirty years of the Ukrainian independence. Ukrainian citizens, with Russian passports in their pockets, have been massively elected or appointed to self-government and executive bodies in Sevastopol and Crimea. They followed Moscow\u2019s policies and played clearly destructive role in 2014.<\/p>\n

As Roslyakov told, he has been in the Russian resort city of Yessentuki in North Caucasus on the 23rd<\/sup> of February, 2014 when Ukrainian authorities were overthrown in Sevastopol by so-called \u00abCoordination Council\u00bb headed by Aleksei Chaly. He came back to Sevastopol on February 25 and he has been elected as the head of \u00abheadquarters of self-defense of Sevastopol\u00bb by \u00ab18 companies of self-defense\u00bb on February 26, 2014.<\/p>\n

It is clear that retired Colonel Roslyakov, with his experience of military service in Sevastopol, has been the best candidate for the commander of illegal military units in the city.<\/p>\n

Reserve officer Ihor Petrov<\/a> has been appointed as the commander of pro-Russian military \u00abself-defense units\u00bb. As Roslyakov recalled later, Ihor Petrov has been approved and appointed by Aleksey Chaly and the Headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ihor Petrov, commander of illegal military unit \u00abRubezh\u00bb. Photo: sevastopol.su<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

However, Petrov has commanded \u00abself-defense companies\u00bb for short period of time. Consequently, he has been appointed as the deputy commander of illegal military unit \u00abRubezh\u00bb, commanded by Vladimir Melnik<\/strong><\/a>. This unit has been staffed with Russian retired officers. Mikhail Chaly called them \u00abassault soldiers\u00bb as they have been used to seize Ukrainian military objects and ships.<\/p>\n

When Petrov left, Viktor Petrovich Litvinov, <\/strong>the head of body guards of people\u2019s mayor Aleksei Chaly, has been appointed as the commander of Sevastopol self-defense. He has served in and then has been expelled from the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In 1992, he joined the Ukrainian Navy. He retired as the Captain of the third rank and launched his business<\/a>. He has been suspect in several criminal cases about fraud. He set up military patriotic club \u00abYastreb\u00bb [Hawk] training children hand-to-hand combat.<\/p>\n

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Viktor Litvinov, \u00abcommander\u00bb of illegal military unit \u00abSelf-defense of Sevastopol\u00bb<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Headquarters of \u00abSevastopol self-defense\u00bb has been stationed in the building of industrial and pedagogical high school on Radyanska street, 65. The location protected the road to the Headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet<\/a> (it has been ruined by Ukrainian missiles in September 2023).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Location of \u00abheadquarters of Sevastopol defense\u00bb at Radyanska street, 65. Photo: Yandex<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Recruitment center, intelligence and counterintelligence services, the unit of rapid response and press center of \u00abSevastopol self-defense\u00bb have been set up by the midnight of the 26th<\/sup> of February, 2014. The headquarters of self-defense also hosted \u00abself-defense company\u00bb headed by retired Colonel Oleg Malynovsky<\/strong>. He has served together with Roslyakov. In 1996, he headed the 299th<\/sup> center of training marines in Kozacha harbor in Sevastopol \u2013 so-called \u00abSaturn\u00bb center for training subversives and combat swimmers.<\/p>\n

On February 27, 2014, Roslyakov sent his armed soldiers for their first mission. It has been reported five unknown men in camouflage cut communication cable of \u00abSevtelecom\u00bb, local provider of communication services. As Roslyakov later reported, \u00abspies disappeared before the arrival of self-defense and policemen\u00bb. Then, \u00abself-defense\u00bb illegally detained six young people from Ukrainian political party \u00abUdar\u00bb [Strike]. \u00abSelf-defense\u00bb accused them of meeting in the apartment with Ukrainian symbols.<\/p>\n