Girkin captured Sloviansk in 2014, having guarantees of the invasion of Ukraine by the regular army of the Russian Federation – Khodakovsky

Russian saboteur and mercenary Igor Girkin (Strelkov) seized Sloviansk in 2014 in full confidence that regular Russian units would follow east of Ukraine. This was told by creator of the terrorist Vostok Battalion Alexander Khodakovsky during his Internet conference.

"When he (Girkin – OstroV) entered Sloviansk, he entered it with certain guarantees, plans, promises…. I think everything indicates that he entered it with one goal: to create a situation, powerful reason for the regular Russian army to follow him (to the east of Ukraine - OstroV)", - Khodakovsky stated.

After these words, at a pretext of computer malfunction, he made a short pause, and then hastened to assure that it was not President of Russia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin who gave Girkin such guarantees.

"I think that someone had the imprudence to give him any guarantees. I think that some politicians who are not connected with the first persons of the (Russian – OstroV) state could delegate to him some promises that some large-scale offensive would take place, that Russia would enter the territory and that Novorossia would be formed", - the militant told.

As OstroV reported, on April 12, 2014, little-known Igor Girkin (Strelkov) entered Sloviansk from the territory of Russia with a detachment of Russian saboteurs. His sabotage-reconnaissance group was seized by the city's police departments and SBU, and Girkin declared himself "acting commander of the DNR militia". Later he confessed that the bloody war in Ukraine would not have started without his detachment. "It was I who pressed the trigger of war. If our squad had not crossed the border, everything would have ended, as in Kharkiv and Odessa. It would be several dozens of killed, burned and arrested. And that would be all. Practically the flywheel of war which is still going on was launched by our squad", - the saboteur stated in an interview with Zavtra far right newspaper. Girkin fell under displeasure of Russian curators in August 2014, and was "dismissed" from the post of "Minister of Defence of the DNR".