Volodymyr Tsemakh

In June 2019, during a special operation, the Security Service of Ukraine detained Tsemakh in Snizhne and took him out of the occupied territory. He was under investigation in Kyiv, but on September 5 the court released Tsemakh from custody. On September 7 he was transferred to Russia as a part of an exchange of prisoners.

On June 27, 2019, as part of a special SBU operation, Tsemakh was detained in a state of intoxication in his own apartment in the temporarily occupied Snizhne and taken to the territory controlled by Ukraine via Marinka. According to the publication "Petro and Mazepa", the operation was prepared by the SBU Counterintelligence for 2 years: the detention and removal were also carried out by agents — previously recruited in Russia, citizens of Ukraine. Various sources later said that Ukraine's military intelligence was also involved in the operation to detain Tsemakh. They hit anti-personnel mines.

The Dutch prosecutor's office has shown considerable interest in the Tsemakh case, considering Tsemakh a valuable witness in the investigation into the downing of the Malaysian Boeing. It is believed that Tsemakh's testimony in court in the Netherlands may increase the legitimacy of the investigation, as in September 2019 he was the only available witness directly involved in the fighting on the ground and during the downing of the plane, could have information about specific events and the chain of command.

On September 7, 2019, he was transferred to Russia as part of an exchange of prisoners in the format of 35-to-35.

On September 10, 2019, Tsemakh returned to ORDLO, his daughter Maria Levchenko-Tsemakh reported.

In March 2015, Tsemakh was released and sent to the DNR military commissariat in Donetsk. In March 2017, he was appointed Deputy Battalion Commander of Military Unit 08819, but was later released early.

Since the spring of 2014, he has taken an active part in the fighting in eastern Ukraine on the side of the pro-Russian forces of the Donetsk People's Republic, an organization that Ukraine recognizes as terrorist. The first combat position, according to the then Minister of Defense "DNR" Igor Girkin ("Shooter"), — the commander of the calculation of mobile installations ZU-23-2 near the village of Semenovka during the battles for Slovyansk.

He was the commander of a separate air defense company in the city of Snizhne since its formation on June 7, 2014. According to the investigation, on July 17, 2014, a Boeing 777 of flight MH17 was shot down from the Snizhne district (Pervomaiskyi town).

According to Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov [uk], during July-August 2014, Tsemakh's company, together with the Russian Armed Forces, attacked planes and helicopters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Butusov, as company commander Tsemakh knew the field commanders of the militants near the town of Snizhne and had information about the role of Girkin ("Shooter") and the Russian military in the Fights on the Ukrainian–Russian border.

According to Girkin, during July-August 2014, Tsemakh's company was armed with several ZU-23-2 and NSV-12.7 Utyos anti-aircraft guns, but did not have weapons capable of shooting down Boeing.

Volodymyr Borysovych Tsemakh (nicknamed "Borysych"; born July 4, 1961, Snizhne) is a pro-Russian militant of the Donetsk People's Republic terrorist organization, a Ukrainian collaborator with Russia, and a former Soviet soldier. In 2014 he was the Commander of the

He was born on July 4, 1961 in the town of Snizhne. He graduated from Poltava Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School.