In August of the 2014, four servicemen of the battalion deployed near Gorlovka decided that they’d had enough of the war. Leaving the anti-terrorist operation zone, the military-men, among whom was an officer of the rank of captain, took with themselves four machine guns, a grenade launcher, guns, bullet-proof vests, and also a box of grenades and a box of cartridges, then went towards Dnepropetrovsk by car.

Upon reaching the village of Slavyanka in the Dnepropetrovsk area, the militants decided to have a rest in the local “Stepovoy” hotel. The program of “rest”, certainly, included drinking alcoholic drinks, and in very impressive quantities. Afterwards, one of the militants, who was filled with strong feelings, fired a volley from a machine gun in air, having frightened the staff and lodgers of the hotel. In particular, the commercial director of the establishment hid from the militants in a field and called his superiors.

Soon, at the place of events, the manager of the hotel arrived in a Mitsubishi L200 vehicle. The militants were imminently attracted to the expensive car, and they decided to take it away for themselves. Threatening with a weapon, they tried to force the driver to leave the cabin, who decided to take off. Then the militants opened fire on the car, and one of the bullets hit the driver. Having received a wound, he still tried to further drive off as much as possible, and also called his spouse with a request to call for an “Ambulance” and the SBU.

Medics arrived to the place of events before security officers, and the militants tried to prevent them from taking the victim to hospital: saying that he is a “separatist”, and that it is necessary to “exterminate” him. Moreover, the militants claimed that the manager opened fire on them first. For greater persuasiveness the militants threatened the medics with a weapon.

The arrival of the SBU special troops and police to the place of events managed to resolve the situation with the militants. In the face of the superior forces of the opponent, the “volunteers” laid down their arms and were detained. The man they had wounded died on the way to the hospital.

In court, the militants denied everything: saying that they were not deserters, but went to a meeting with volunteers, didn’t drink Vodka, and didn’t shoot dead the manager of the hotel – they have no idea. However countering this version of events were the testimonies of witnesses, including one of the militants, who, as a result, became the main witness of the prosecution. He claimed that he was involved in the events incidentally: saying that he didn’t mean any harm, and simply wanted to go home, and other members of group agreed to help him get there.

The other three militants were found guilty and received solid prison terms: two received 14 years of imprisonment, and one received 12 years.