>>15998018 pb

Igor Kolomoisky article from 2015,

Igor Kolomoisky funds and directs a large private militia that has been helping the Kiev government fight against the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Militias like his — and there are dozens of them — are a source of deep concern to analysts who believe they could threaten Ukraine's long-term stability.

These groups pose a serious threat to Ukrainian civilians, as well. In December, pro-Kiev militias blocked humanitarian aid from reaching rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine. Amnesty International researcher Denis Krivosheev said the militias were using starvation of civilians as a weapon, and called the tactic a war crime.

Another militia, the Aydar Battalion, has kidnapped and tortured civilians on dozens of occasions, according to Amnesty. Local police told the human rights group they had registered more than 38 criminal cases against Aydar members but lacked the power to take any further action against the fighters — a worrying sign of the militias' power.

https://www.vox.com/2015/3/23/8279397/kolomoisky-oligarch-ukraine-militia