Deputy commander of Russian Volunteer Corps describes detention in secret prison, where he was threatened with "disappearing forever"

Stepan Kaplunov, Deputy Commander for Combat Operations of the Russian Volunteer Corps , has described details of his abduction by Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) officers and explained why, under pressure and threats in a secret prison, he was forced to admit to having links with the Russian FSB. 

Source: Kaplunov in an interview with Radio NV

Details: According to Kaplunov, he was abducted on 23 August near his house. He was handcuffed, had his eyes taped shut and was taken to a secret prison.

"For the first two days, I was interrogated more intensively. On the third day, they hardly spoke to me at all. As far as I understand, most likely the aim was to discredit the Tymur Special Unit [special-purpose unit within Defence Intelligence of Ukraine – ed.], including our commander directly – Tymur. I was accused of having links with representatives of the FSB. I later attributed this connection to my immediate superior, Dmytro – Commander Dmytro Ivanov. So this was not about WhiteRex [Russian Volunteer Corps commander Denis Kapustin – ed.]. Accordingly, I was not subjected to physical violence, apart from the abduction itself at the beginning. Nevertheless, there were remarks that I could disappear forever. In other words, there was talk of digging holes. We all understand what that means," he said.

Kaplunov said that, while in that difficult situation, he fully agreed with the version that he "had a connection with the FSB and subsequently attributed this contact to my immediate commander, Dmytro".

"Although in reality nothing of the sort had happened. I went along with it because of my situation and under psychological pressure," he stressed.

Kaplunov added that during his detention he was held at two different locations, but was released after nine days.

"I cannot tell you about events in the outside world, interaction between the services, communications and so on. After nine days, I was simply told: 'Get out.' I was also transferred – either to one vehicle or two. After that, I was taken to the place where, roughly speaking, I had been abducted, but I was not warned in advance that my flat would also be searched," he said.

Asked whether Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President, had contacted Kaplunov during that period, he replied: "Not at all."

"I know that Kyrylo Oleksiiovych is following this situation closely and keeping his finger on the pulse, but directly – no," Kaplunov said.

Background:

• On 1 September, the Russian Volunteer Corps said that Kaplunov had been abducted by unknown individuals in the courtyard of the building where he was living.
• On the morning of 2 September, reports spread on social media about a shootout said to be between Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) and the SSU in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi District, and that it was somehow connected to Kaplunov's disappearance. As of 10:00 on the same day, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the standoff was still ongoing.
• Later, officers from the State Bureau of Investigation and the head of the SSU's Special Operations Centre Alpha arrived at the scene. According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, three DIU officers were injured in the confrontation.
• Meanwhile, the SSU said that together with DIU, it had foiled a terrorist attack against a leader of a Russian opposition political national movement who had arrived in Ukraine.

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