‘War criminal’ wanted in West over shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is ‘made commander of Putin’s frontline forces in Ukraine’

• Igor Strelkov was appointed to a frontline commander in Vladimir Putin’s forces
• He was pictured bidding farewell to his wife while wearing military fatigues
• Strelkov has been an arch-critic of the Kremlin over the Ukraine campaign
• He had warned last month that more military defeats could topple Putin 
• The West wants Strelkov for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014

A wanted ‘war criminal’ accused of complicity in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 has been ‘made a commander in Vladimir Putin’s frontline forces fighting in Ukraine’. 

Igor Strelkov, 51, former defence minister of self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic, has been an arch-critic of the Kremlin over the Ukraine campaign.

But now in a change of tack, the ex-FSB colonel and hardliner has been appointed a frontline commander, it is reported.

He was pictured bidding farewell to his wife wearing military fatigues.

Strelkov – real named Igor Girkin – was blamed for the downing of MH17 which was hit by a BUK missile supplied by Russia in 2014.

He is a wanted man in the West over the 298 civilians killed when the Boeing 777 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky.

Wanted ‘war criminal’ Igor Strelkov, 51, (pictured) has been ‘made a commander in Vladimir Putin’s frontline forces fighting in Ukraine’

Strelkov – with half a million followers – had gone quiet on his Telegram channel which has been used for months to demand a far tougher and more brutal approach to the war from Russian forces.

His wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, 29, posted: ‘He is okay. He will be in touch soon.’

Military reporter Yuri Kotenok said: ‘Strelkov’s silence since October 10 is explained by the fact that after eighty years he was allowed to leave for the war zone….

‘He went to fight in one of the volunteer battalions as chief of staff or deputy commander.’

Strelkov was earlier blocked by the Russians from reaching the front.

He had warned last month that more military defeats could topple Putin, and accused the Kremlin leader and his defence minister of incompetence.

Strelkov (left) was pictured bidding farewell to his wife Miroslava Reginskaya (right) wearing military fatigues and has recently gone quiet on his Telegram channel

Strelkov – real named Igor Girkin – was blamed for the downing of MH17 which was hit by a BUK missile supplied by Russia in 2014 (pictured)

Strelkov is a wanted man in the West over the 298 civilians killed when the Boeing 777 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky (pictured) in 2014

‘All it will take is an outbreak of inflation or a few more military defeats to finish him off,’ he posted about the Russian president.

He labelled Putin ‘clueless’ over Russia’s frontline failings and suggested that ‘execution by shooting’ was too good a punishment for defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Strelkov had long called for full mobilisation while slating the military hierarchy in Russia.

He was known for his cruelty in Donetsk, bragging about ordering prisoners and looters to be shot.

His new role as a commander – possibly in a private army backing Putin – appears a sign that hardliners are now fully in charge of Putin’s war.

Strelkov (pictured with his wife) was known for his cruelty in Donetsk, bragging about ordering prisoners and looters to be shot

News of Strelkov’s new role comes as Ukrainian forces shelling damaged the administration building in the city of Donetsk, the capital of the Donetsk region, Russian-backed administration of the city said on Sunday.

The administration said on the Telegram messaging app that the main entry into the building was hit and several nearby cars damaged.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine to the attack. Reuters could not verify the report.

Donetsk city has been controlled by the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic since 2014. Russia moved in September to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, in the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least half a century.

Moscow declared the annexations after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.

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