The escape of MP Artem Dmytruk

The escape of MP Artem Dmytruk

On August 24 at 12:00, Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk crossed the border with Moldova on foot from the Palanka checkpoint.

According to sources in Moldovan law enforcement agencies, the deputy then immediately went to the local police department in the town of Stefan Voda. In fact, the Palanka checkpoint is located in the Stefan Voda district. At the police station, Dmytruk asked for protection and allegedly received temporary asylum for consideration of his case. However, under such circumstances, he could not immediately leave the country that same day. Moldovan law enforcement agencies are conducting their own investigation into these circumstances.

According to UP sources in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, on August 24, Dmytruk did not leave Ukraine officially, and if we check the border database now, then according to it, Dmytruk is still in Ukraine.

From the Stefan Vode police station, Dmytruk headed to the airport of the Moldovan capital Chisinau. At the time when the Ukrainian deputy was already at the Chisinau airport, Moldovan law enforcement officers received a request from their Ukrainian colleagues asking to detain the deputy. But since, apart from the request, there were no grounds (such as a court decision, suspicion of committing a crime) for detention, this request was not implemented, and Dmytruk was able to board a plane and leave Moldova.

Interestingly, the departure of the Chisinau-Rome flight of the low-cost airline FlyOne was delayed. And Dmytruk, having passed through passport control at 17:30 (as evidenced by an extract from the Moldovan border database, which is at the disposal of the editorial staff), flew to Rome’s Fiumicino airport only at 20:00.

UP sources in Moldovan law enforcement agencies, who have reviewed the video from the Chisinau airport surveillance cameras, say that the deputy was noticeably nervous. And this is not surprising, because such a delay did not play into his hands.

Already on August 25, the Moldovan police received grounds for detention from the Ukrainian side. Since Dmytruk was only declared a suspect on August 25. And if the MP returns to Moldova, he may be detained this time. But it is obvious that he is unlikely to take such a step.

According to sources among Moldovan law enforcement officers, representatives of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies were already working in the capital of Moldova yesterday.

Most likely, Dmytruk bought a ticket for the next available flight and was not planning to go to Rome. After all, the information from UP sources diverges: some representatives of our law enforcement agencies claim that on the morning of August 25, Dmytruk left Rome for London, while others report Istanbul as a possible next stop in the Ukrainian deputy’s wanderings.

"Ukrainska Pravda" managed to establish that before his escape, the last time Dmytruk left the country was back in 2023.

Then he returned on January 24, 2023 via the Mayaki-Udobne checkpoint in a Toyota car registered in the UK. And this is surprising. Because it is doubtful that such an actor as Dmytruk would be engaged in the transportation of cars for the Defence Forces.

Mykhailo Tkach