Three Ukrainian paratroopers possibly abducted near occupied Crimea

The press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Facebook that three soldiers from 79th separate airmobile brigade went missing in the early hours of September 5 near the administrative border with the Russian-occupied Crimea. 

"In the morning of September 5, we became aware of the three soldiers from the 79th separate airmobile brigade gone missing — senior soldier Yurov, soldiers Orlenko and Mekshun. In the course of search operations, after serving duty at the observation post… they put on plain clothes and went to swim at the dam, according to their fellow soldiers. The dam is located in the area adjacent to the illegally occupied territory of Crimea," reads the statement

According to the General Staff, it was later found that on the same night, two vehicles (an URAL truck and UAZ) drove close to the said area from the illegally occupied territory of Crimea. Therefore, our troops might have been illegally captured by the Russian military.

It is noted that the soldiers’ weapons, ammunition and military IDs remained at the base. Internal investigation and the search are continuing.