Derrick Bales is to stand trial for committing a terrorist act in Russia’s Kursk Region, according to the Investigative Committee
A Russian court has ordered an arrest in absentia of US citizen Derrick Bales, who is being accused of mercenarism and of carrying out a terrorist act in Kursk during Ukraine’s incursion into the region in August, the Investigative Committee has said.
Derrick Bales is a former US infantryman and the owner of the Forward Observations Group, which refers to itself as a military-style brand that sells tactical gear and accessories but which Russia maintains is a private military company. The group has posted photos of Bales and other Americans fighting in Kursk and Donbass on its Instagram page.
On Wednesday, the committee announced it had completed a criminal investigation into Bales during which it obtained witness testimonies and examined documents as well as internet resources.
“Irrefutable evidence was collected in…