The Ukrainian authorities accused this Monday the Governor of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, of financing Russian military groups, which are participating in the invasion of Ukraine, by organizing the introduction of the ruble in the southern and eastern regions of the country.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) indicated that Nabiullina is accused of “organizing the introduction of the ruble in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine” and, in this way, withdrawing the local currency, the grivna.
“As a result of a series of investigative actions, the SBU collected evidence of the participation of the head of the Central Bank of Russia in financing military groups in the aggressor country,” said the Ukrainian intelligence service, quoted by the Ukrinform agency.
Elvira Nabiullina was accused of violating Article 110 of the Penal Code for “conspiracy to modify the borders of the State of Ukraine and violate the order established in the Constitution, causing serious consequences and the loss of human lives”.
The same source said that the Ukrainian authorities plan to put her on an international search and capture list.
This is not the first time Ukraine has accused Russian citizens of violating its Penal Code. In 2019, a Kiev court convicted State Duma Deputy Speaker Svetlana Savchenko in absentia of high treason in a case linked to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced and more than 7.8 million to European countries -, according to the most recent data. of the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
At the moment, 17.7 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian aid and 9.3 million are in need of food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community in general, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and imposing it on Russia of political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented as confirmed since the beginning of the war 6,884 dead civilians and 10,947 wounded, underlining that these numbers are far below the real ones.
*With Lusa
