Kazakhstan Hunts Man Suspected Of Fighting Alongside Ukrainian Separatists

A court in Kazakhstan’s northwestern city of Aqtobe has added to the country's wanted list a local resident suspected of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The court issued its ruling on August 30 after the suspect, Maksim Yermolov, failed to appear in court for a second time in the case.

Yermolov was detained in February 2015 after returning to Kazakhstan from eastern Ukraine, where he allegedly fought alongside pro-Russia separatists who are battling Ukrainian government forces.

Yermolov was charged with "taking part in military conflicts abroad" and ordered not to leave the city of Aqtobe.

His current whereabouts are unknown.

From 2014 to 2015, Kazakhstan jailed at least two Kazakh citizens for fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.

Four Kazakh citizens also were convicted during that period on charges of inciting separatism and ethnic hatred on the Internet in connection with Ukraine's conflict.