A 28-year-old from Messina was arrested by the Carabinieri del Ros: the young man was fighting as a mercenary for the pro-Russian militias in the conflict in Ukraine. The young man had been recruited in Italy, had been fighting since 2014 in the Donbass and was part of a criminal group engaged in several states. The ROS is now investigating the organized structure active in the area between Italy and Ukraine, which recruits and finances mercenaries destined to integrate the ranks of pro-Russian separatist militias in the Donbass region. The arrest took place abroad, where the young man would have moved from 2016 (not from 2014 - ed) to carry out the activity of 'illegitimate fighter'. The searches took place in Messina and Lodi, the last cities where the wanted man's family resided.
The young man arrested shared his military activities on social media with friends and relatives, some of whom asked him for advice and directions to undertake the same activity. According to investigators, the story confirms the existence and operation of an organized structure active in the Italy - Ukraine area, which recruits mercenaries destined to integrate the ranks of pro-Russian separatist militias in the Donbass region, which has already emerged from a similar investigation conducted by Ros in 2018. Searches are now underway to define the role of any facilitators who would have facilitated and supported, including financially, the activities of the mercenaries in the Donbass. Today's arrest also took place with the support of the Provincial Commands of Messina and Lodi.
