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Moscow urges Ukrainian troops to turn arms against Kiev junta or capitulate — diplomat

Maria Zakharova reiterated that Russia’s Investigative Committee is probing all instances of Ukrainian militants shelling Russian regions as well as their other criminal acts

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Moscow is urging Ukrainian soldiers to turn their weapons against the Kiev regime or surrender to Russian forces, according to a commentary on the Ukrainian crisis by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

"We strongly advise the Ukrainian soldiers, who, we are certain, realize the whole criminal essence of the gangster-like junta that has taken over their country, to turn their weapons against it, or surrender to our forces. In such cases, a decent, humane attitude to all is guaranteed," the diplomat noted.

The spokeswoman reiterated that Russia’s Investigative Committee is probing all instances of Ukrainian militants shelling Russian regions as well as their other criminal acts. "Based on the accumulated evidence, Russian courts are handing down verdicts against Ukrainian neo-Nazis who have used illegal methods in an armed conflict, [mercilessly] killed wounded prisoners of war, and committed crimes against civilians, including murders motivated by political and ideological hatred," she added.

Zakharova stressed that, over just the past two weeks, 15 Ukrainian servicemen, including five militants from the notorious Azov nationalist battalion (outlawed in Russia), have been sentenced to various prison terms, ranging from 15 years to life in a maximum-security facility. "It is impossible to bring back to life those tortured, executed or burned [alive] by them, but the Russian Federation will do everything possible so that not a single Nazi butcher evades just retribution for the crimes they have committed," she emphasized.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy Ukraine Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova

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