A court in Kiev has ordered the pre-trial detention of the head of Motor Sich, a Ukrainian company that makes aircraft engines, on charges of treason. Vyacheslav Boguslaev, who holds the title of Hero of Ukraine for his accomplishments, called his arrest a misunderstanding.
Boguslaev and Oleg Dzyuba, who heads the firm’s export department, had their cases heard on Monday behind closed doors.
Ukraine’s domestic security agency the SBU detained Boguslaev on Sunday, claiming they had evidence that he sold military products to Russia. If found guilty, he and Dzyuba may face up to 12 years in jail. In the case of Boguslaev, 83, it could mean an effective life sentence.
The SBU released, what it claimed to be, recordings of conversations between Boguslaev and Russian officials, in which they appeared to discuss the purchase of helicopter engines and their supply through intermediaries.
His lawyer, Ruslan Volynets, who briefly spoke to the press after the court hearing, claimed that the…
