Photo: Denis Pushilin / ERA

On September 5, an investigator of the SBU Main Directorate in Donetsk and Luhansk regions served a notice of suspicion to the so-called head of the occupation administration in Donetsk region Denys Pushylin of organizing a violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of people by prior conspiracy.

Pushilin is charged with organizing the misappropriation of metal products of enterprises Metinvest – Azovstal and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol in the Mariupol seaport for over UAH 887.1 million.

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According to the investigation, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Azovstal and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol left their steel products in the port of Mariupol and on ships that did not have time to go to sea.

This is about 30,000 tons of steel and steel slabs that were to be exported under contracts with Metinvest International SA.

The investigation established that around April-May 2022, Pushylin, while in the occupied territory of Donetsk region, issued a number of illegal "resolutions" on the forced free seizure of this property.

The implementation was entrusted to the Mariupol Seaport Authority and its controlled entities.

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In May 2022, Metinvest reported the port of Mariupol reported that several commercial vessels were spotted in the waters of the port: SMARTA (Liberia), AZOV CONCORD (Malta), AZBURG (Dominica), TZAREVNA (Malta), BLUE STAR I (Panama) and LADY AUGUSTA (Jamaica).

The company claimed that there was a high risk that Russians would use these vessels to steal and illegally export Metinvest's steel products.

The investigation emphasizes that the seized products had no military purpose, could not be used in hostilities and had the status of protected property under international humanitarian law.

Pushilin is charged with organizing a crime under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.