<\/p>\n
Crimean \u00abCenter of Journalist Investigations\u00bb presents its special project \u00abPutin\u2019s schutzmanns\u00bb. It is about illegal para-military units created on the eve of the Russian occupation of Crimea. They served as human shield and propagandist \u00abscreen\u00bb of the Russian hybrid military operation. Putin and his troops hid behind members of \u00abself-defense\u00bb of Crimea and Sevastopol. They performed dirtiest tasks and keep playing the role of auxiliary police of Russian occupants now. <\/strong><\/p>\n During the Second World War Nazi regime recruited residents of occupied territories and created its para-military units in each seized country. In Ukraine, they were called Schutzmannschaft. Russian ideologists and authors of the Crimean annexation have apparenty used this Nazi experience. <\/strong><\/p>\n Special project includes three series of \u00abPutin\u2019s schutzmanns\u00bb and a number of investigations of separate units and persons who played significant role during Russian occupation of Crimea. <\/strong><\/p>\n The first part of trilogy is about illegal military units of Sevastopol. They were set up in January 2014. When Russian troops seized Sevastopol on February 23, 2014, these units were already well trained, armed, subordinated to single headquarters and coordinated by Russian intelligence services and commanders of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. <\/strong><\/p>\n The second part is about \u00abself-defense of Crimea\u00bb. It has been formally directed by Mykhailo Sheremet and Sergii Aksyonov but it has been in fact subordinated to commanders of Russian military and intelligence services, including Igor Girkin (Strelkov). Underpinned by \u00abHead of Crimea\u00bb Aksyonov and budgetary resources, \u00abself-defense of Crimea\u00bb still functions today. <\/strong><\/p>\n The third part is about Russian Cossack units transferred from Russia to Crimea on the eve of Russian seizure of Verkhovna Rada and government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea of Ukraine. Heads of Kuban Cossack Troops decided to \u00abprotect\u00bb Crimean people on February 25. Russian troops were also transported to Crimea as Cossacks. <\/strong><\/p>\n The nature of \u00abCrimean Cossacks\u00bb has been debated for years. Historical studies concluded that there was no Ukrainian or Russian Cossacks on Crimean peninsula in the past. It is post-Soviet phenomenon. Ordinary Crimean residents perceived men in Cossack uniforms as weird people playing games of historical reconstruction.<\/p>\n Very close to Russian region of Kuban with its historical Kuban Cossacks, Crimean city of Kerch also has not had traditional Cossack units.<\/p>\n Kerch resident and director of local TV company Olena Lysenko <\/strong>recalls:<\/p>\n \u00abThere were two groups of Cossacks. Kerch Cossacks looked like cultural historical club of aged men. They met to drink tea and sing songs\u2026 Cossacks, who came to Kerch from outside, looked differently\u00bb.<\/p>\n As of beginning of 2014, there were approximately ten Cossack units in Crimea. The largest of them have functioned in Simferopol, Feodosia and Bakhchysaray for twenty years. They have never been influential and had a few members. But they conflicted with Crimean Tatars who returned to their motherland from Soviet deportation. This is how they became known outside Crimea.<\/p>\n