Member of Odesa sect planning coup avoids prison

Court delivers verdict, but no custodial sentence follows

Myroslav Bekchiv, one of the participants in an illegal armed formation operating in Odesa, pleaded guilty but avoided a custodial sentence. The court sentenced him to two years in prison; however, taking into account his cooperation with the investigation, the punishment was suspended.

The group and its leaders

The organisation to which Bekchiv belonged was founded by Oleg Maltsiv, a native of Crimea. The investigation believes that this structure may have been linked to attempts to destabilise the situation in the region and facilitate the seizure of Odesa.

Other defendants in the case

In addition to Bekchiv, 22 other individuals are named in the case, including citizens of Russia, Belarus and Germany. One of the participants, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, was fined 60,000 hryvnia.