“The Moscow landing”
On 26 February 2014, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine recorded the last legal entry of Igor Strelkov (Girkin) to the territory of Ukraine. He flew by plane from Moscow to Simferopol. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, Strelkov was an officer of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate - GRU. Kiev accuses him of taking part in Russia's operation of Crimea annexation. This Russian militant was to be an adviser of the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Crimea, Sergey Aksionov.
After the annexation of Crimea, Strelkov probably prepared the “little green men" for the military operation in Donbas. On April 8, he left Crimea and went through Kerch to Rostov-on-Don. On April 12 he arrived illegally on the territory of the Ukrainian Donbas.
- Who are you? - one of the commanders of militants, who occupied Sloviansk, was asked by journalists on April 17, 2014. – Well, we are the Crimea Insurgent Army…. I mean, Donbas Insurgent Army.
The militants in Donbas confirmed in private conversations, that they came from Crimea.
In Crimea Strelkov was accompanied by, among others, Alexander Borodai (later he became the Prime Minister of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic).
Strelkov and Borodai operations were supported by Konstantin Malofeev - a controversial Rusian businessman. He is a deeply religious man and connects business with Eastern Orthodoxy. He is a supporter of the “Great Russia” idea and generously finances the projects that support the implementation of this idea.
According to the Ukrainian security services, Malofeev financially supported the activities of the separatists in Crimea.
