Rostov court recognizes fact of deployment of Russian troops in the "DNR/LNR". 130 million rubles are needed only to feed them for half a month

Large units of Russian troops are deployed in the territory of Donbas occupied by the Russian Federation. This fact was indirectly recognized by the Kirovsky District Court of the city of Rostov-on-Don in the verdict in the case of bribes in the supply of food.

The materials of the court note that defendant V.Zabaluyev has worked as a deputy regional manager for military nutrition at AUP No. Rostov-on-Don since 2019.

"His duties during the labor activity included organizing and fulfilling obligations for the purchase and sale of food and creating the necessary stock in a warehouse at {address}. This food was intended to be sent to military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation deployed in the territory of the DNR and LNR", - the verdict says.

He had to organize ordering, payment and loading of the cars with the necessary food. "Food supplies to the DNR and LNR were carried out from a warehouse located at {address}, the frequency of deliveries is one time every two weeks. The column was formed of more than 70 vehicles with a carrying capacity of about 40 tons and a total volume of more than 1 300 tons. The assortment of the supplied food included flour, canned food and fresh vegetables. The total cost of food for one delivery was more than 130 million rubles", - the verdict notes.

According to the verdict of the court hearing, the drivers who transported the cargo, "risking their own lives at the border, remove the license plates, give the documents and, under the protection of the receiving party, go to the place of unloading". The defendant withheld 1–2 thousand rubles each from their salaries for a bribe to an official, on whom the success of food supplies to the occupied Donbas depended. He demanded improper advantage, threatening to disrupt the "supply of products" carried out "in the interests of… Russian military personnel on combat duty in the DNR and LNR".

Thus, the court of the Russian Federation recognized the fact of deployment of Russian military personnel on "combat duty" on the territory of CADLO. Based on the scale of food supplies to them and its cost – 70 vehicles with a total volume of more than 1300 tons worth more than 130 million rubles every two weeks – it can be assumed that this refers to the so-called 1st and 2nd army corps of the "people's militia" (self-designation of illegal armed formations of the DNR/LNR ), which are essentially part of the Russian Armed Forces.