Three volunteers from «Ravliki» guerrilla group have been detained in Mariupol and accused of a holdup. Now they are in an investigatory isolation ward. Their attorney positively denies all accusations and points at possible political background of the case. Friends of volunteers hope to influence the lawsuit and incognito disclose detained. Fighters turned out to be famous Ukrainian patriots from Donetsk.

Hunter-hunt
“A group of six volunteers contacted three fighters of the “Ravlik” detachment and asked to help to neutralize separatists on May 8th, — Dmitriy Korobko – famous Donetsk activist and “Ravliki’s” attorney tells. – There are many independent guerilla groups in the ATO zone, supervised by different intelligence services and counter-intelligence, and such mutual help is casual. 6 volunteers and “Ravliki” detained 5 separatists at the farm in Velikonovoselovskiy region. They found arms, explosives and Russian flags. As usual – they called the police. Then, volunteers and “Ravliki” were detained and separatists were released”.
At the moment a court sentenced 6 volunteers and 3 “Ravliki” to imprisonment for 60 days, according to their attorney – that is a maximum term.
“Now the court incriminated them with a holdup, but it can add an accusation of terrorism, illegal guns’ carrying, etc. and arrested separatists will become “victims”, — Dmitriy Korobko tells.
Patriots or bandits?
“I personally know two of them – Borya Ovchar and Bogdan Chaban. They were in a self-defense units last year, guarded our meetings for territorial integrity of Ukraine, — Diana Berg – Donetsk activist and famous designer tells. – Borya Ovcharov joined “Azov” battalion in May. He participated in Mariupol’s liberation. In September he decided to join OUN’s battalion. He spent last autumn in Peski and then together with Bogdan they started to work in “Ravliki”.

Boris Ovcharov, nickname “Donchanin”, 33 years
Boris Ovcharov is in the list of “National heroes of Ukraine” – informal volunteers’ award.

Bogdan Chaban, nickname “Azot”, 21 year

“Bodya was the youngest businessman in Donetsk. At the age of 18 he became a director of the coffee house “Izba-chitalnya”, it was very popular place among Ukrainian patriots. Bodya defended our meetings, distributed leaflets and flags at nights. Then he joined a voluntary battalion. He fought in Illovaysk, Mariinka, Peski. – Diana tells. – The same story happened with him in March, 2014. He was detained for removing the aggressor’s flag from the center of Donetsk”.
“I don’t know the third “Ravlik”, but he actively participated in pro-Ukrainian meetings in Donetsk”.

Aleksandr Kryukob, nickname “Botsman”, 20 years
“We became volunteers with Bogdan Chaban at the beginning of the war, — Danilo Kovzhun tells. – At some point of time he told me that he had great relationships with counter-intelligence and had an access to the base of separatists, those people, who organized pro-Russian meetings in the very beginning”.
According to Danila Kovzhun, the group was called after a soft toy.
“One woman-volunteer gave Bogdan a big plush snail for a good luck. We promised her to take pictures of the snail everywhere in Donbass. That is why we called the group “Ravlik”, — he tells.
According to a volunteer’s words, situation when voluntary groups cooperate with counter-intelligence are widely-spread in the ATO zone.
“All our services – the police and SCU – are divided into indifferent people, those who support enemy and fierce patriots, who work for the country. That is why those bodies have not enough resources. Volunteers help them with uniforms, cars and even do their job instead of them. A lot of such groups work in the ATO zone, they coordinate their work with the SCU and get information in response. Not all groups are officially registered, of course ” – Danil Kovshun tells.
According to his words, mutual cooperation was convenient for both sides.
“Ravliki” worked in the first defense line in cooperation with counter-intelligence. Counter-intelligence liked those guys for their professionalism” – he tells.

Things went a wrong way …
“Donchanin received a call from a group of six people, they asked him to help them to arrest separatists’ group. “Ravliki” decided to support and help. They didn’t participate in arrest of 4 or 5 firm’s directors, who were reported to be separatists. Explosive, arms and flags were found there… maybe some money. “Ravliki” followed police to the police station. In hour and a half the police told them, that they found some money in guys’ car, which may have been stolen”.
Danila Kovzhun says that both groups were detained as the one group of 9 people, which is not true.
“Mr. Abroskin (a major-general, the head of the Donetsk regional police department) wrote on his Facebook page that a group of 9 dangerous special offenders was detained. This was not true. My guys were just guarding. They didn’t participate in the arrest of separatists, they were in another car”.
Volunteer is sure, that Bogdan Chaban – the leader of “Ravliki” will never encroach upon somebody’s money.
“He decided to fight not for money. Before the war he was a successful businessman in Donetsk and could earn money without a risk for life. He went to the ATO zone because he is very ideological man with a position: “Who will do this if not me? I know the location, I know people and have many friends, I can create a real spy ring and become very helpful”, — Danila Kovzhun tells about his friend.

Versions: a chance or a law?
Danila sees a tragic coincidence in boys’ detention.
“They were detained on May 8th. And we know that the police all around the country was alerted to look for provocations. I suppose that the police received an order to stop and arrest all suspicious people, and of course all armed people in balaclavas. The second reason is an informal order against the ATO fighters, made by the prime-minister after shooting in Kiev near a gas station on May 4th”, — volunteer tells.
But those are not the only reasons of volunteers’ detention, according to Danila Kovzhun.
“As I know from my source, the group of 6 volunteers was followed by the police from Kiev. Apparently, there were some accidents and they were under suspicion. The police didn’t try to sort them out and detained everyone”, — volunteer explains.
“Ravliki’s” attorney doesn’t want to see the situation as a coincidence.
“Facts tell us that the arrest illustrates an authorities’ general line of conduct towards volunteers. We understand that there was a time, when everyone needs them, but now all governmental bodies, including the President, try to subordinate guerillas and neutralize those, who don’t want to obey. According to my data, 30 % of prisoners of the Mariupol investigatory isolation ward – are Ukrainian soldiers, mostly volunteers”, — Dmitriy Korobko tells.
The attorney is going to change measure of restraint to the one excluding imprisonment.
“We plan to address the public, because we see these guys as heroes. I know about their service in battles and how much they’ve done on the front line, so we can’t treat them like this. I’m absolutely sure that they are innocent”, — Dmitriy Korobko stated.
Informator.lg.ua will follow the situation around the “Ravlik” group.

Denis Matsola for the Informator.lg.ua