Two Russian Soldiers Detained in Armenia Over Alleged Assault on Ukrainian Man
Armenian authorities have detained two Russian soldiers accused of assaulting a Ukrainian man in the city of Gyumri. The arrest departs from the long-standing practice of holding such suspects at the Russian base.
Armenian law enforcement has detained two Russian soldiers accused of assaulting a Ukrainian man, the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Monday, November 10. The alleged attack took place about a month ago in Gyumri, an Armenian city that hosts Russia's 102nd Military Base. The case matters because Russian servicemen accused of crimes in Gyumri have traditionally been held at the base itself.
The investigation
Armenian investigators told RFE/RL that they opened a criminal case over the assault allegations and ordered a forensic medical examination. This followed a police report filed by the Ukrainian man, identified as Dmytro Samuelenko.
A break with past practice
The detention departs from decades of precedent. Previously, Russian military personnel accused of crimes in Gyumri were held at the Russian base. The base was established in 1995 under an agreement extended through 2044 and houses several thousand Russian servicemen.
Reaction
Russia's Embassy in Yerevan and the 102nd Military Base have not commented on the detention of the two soldiers. RFE/RL also reported that another assault incident, reportedly involving Russian soldiers in Armenia, was recently reported to the police.
