Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia.
RG72 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Armenian law enforcement authorities have taken two Russian soldiers into custody after they were accused of assaulting a Ukrainian man, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Armenian service reported Monday.
The alleged assault took place about a month ago in the city of Gyumri, which hosts Russia’s 102nd Military Base.
Armenian investigators told RFE/RL that they launched a criminal probe into the assault allegations and had ordered a forensic medical examination after the Ukrainian man, identified as Dmytro Samuelenko, filed a police report.
The detention marks a departure from decades of legal precedent, where Russian military personnel accused of committing crimes in Gyumri would be held at the Russian military base.
Established in 1995 under an agreement extended through 2044, Russia’s 102nd Military Base houses several thousand Russian servicemen.
Russia’s Embassy in Yerevan and the 102nd Military Base have not commented on the detention of the two soldiers.
A separate assault incident reportedly involving Russian soldiers in Armenia was also recently reported to the police, according to RFE/RL.
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