A Ukrainian sailor who tried to sink a yacht of a Russian military supplier worth more than 5 million pounds in Mallorca after the outbreak of war has returned home to take over Vladimir Putinthe army of.
Taras Ostapchuk, a 55-year-old mechanical engineer, said he tried to sink 156-foot Lady Anastasia, owned by millionaire Alexander Mizheev, after seeing photos of rockets hitting apartment buildings.
Midjiev is a former head of the Russian Helicopter Corporation, which took over state arms supplier Rostech six years ago, and Taras told cops he tried to sink Mallorca’s mooring yacht in revenge.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Taras shared a photo of himself when he entered Ukraine from Poland at the Rava Ruska border crossing, heading to his home in Kyiv, where he plans .
He said: “Politics is something that is changing fast, and when I saw the video of a Russian helicopter firing rockets at a civilian house in Kyiv last week, I knew I had to do something.
“I know that Midjiev is the person responsible for making these helicopters, and after seeing this video, I thought I had such a house and it could be hit by a rocket, so I wanted to take action.
“What I want to say is that Midjiev was a good employer and I have no complaints about working for him – the situation with Russia just broke me.
55-year-old mechanical engineer Taras Ostapchuk, a Ukrainian sailor who tried to sink a yacht of a Russian military supplier worth more than 5 million pounds in Mallorca after the outbreak of war, returned home to take over Vladimir Putin’s army
Ukrainian mechanical engineer sinks Lady Anastasia in Mallorca’s Adriano port after Moscow invades his homeland because he claims his Russian boss, Alexander Mizheev, is selling weapons to Putin
The yacht (pictured), named Lady Anastasia, costs at least £ 5 million and is currently in the Mediterranean
Taras was an employee of Midjiev and worked for him for several years, but he told police who came to arrest him: “I do not regret anything I did and would do it again,” adding: “My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people. ”
Taras explained how he asked for his salary to be paid in advance and then decided to sink the yacht by releasing valves that allowed the water to flow in when it moored at Port Adriano.
The yacht was left partially submerged, but still tied to its berths. It is said that when the police arrived, Taras waited by the boat while it fell, and reportedly told the Civil Guard: “My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people.”
He told MailOnline: “I knew the water wasn’t very deep there – maybe six meters, so the yacht might sink only 2.5 meters, enough for water to enter the main rooms, but it won’t sink to the bottom. because it is too shallow.
“I am a sailor and I knew that those on board would have time to gather their belongings and try to save the yacht. They did their duty as any good sailor would do, and then raised the alarm when the police arrived.
“They asked who sank the ship and I said it was me and it was a political act against the Putin regime. I was taken to prison and spent the night there and my connections and belongings were taken away, but I was well fed and had no complaints against the Spanish authorities.
Ostapchuk transferred the ship belonging to Alexander Mizheev (pictured), a former head of Russia’s helicopter corporation that took over state arms supplier Rostec six years ago, to Mallorca
The 156-foot luxury yacht named Lady Anastasia was moored in Pord Adriano when it was taken down
Following the incident last Saturday, Taras appeared in court on Monday, but was released by a judge pending further investigation and flew from Mallorca via Zurich and Warsaw.
He added: “The judge said he saw no reason for me to stay in prison and that no crime had been committed against her and released me. I decided to fly back to Ukraine so that I could join the defense of my country.
“This is the least I can do in the face of what Putin and Russia are doing, but if I have to go back to Spain to face a civil case because I sank the yacht, I will go back and fight it. .
“I am a man of respectable age, but I am full of strength and my mind has not yet weakened. I hope to get a position in the Ukrainian Navy, whatever. I have experience in managing various ships, including American ones.
The other three crew members had no idea about the plot until it was alleged that Taras rushed in and told them to leave the ship, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll take all the blame.”
Taras said: “When I landed in Warsaw, other Ukrainians on the plane recognized me and said they would take me to the border, and when I crossed one of the guards wanted to take a picture with me because he recognized my name too.
Taras explained how he asked for his salary to be paid in advance and then decided to sink the yacht (pictured) by releasing valves that allowed water to flow in as it docked at Port Adriano.
The ship, which costs more than £ 5 million, has five luxury cabins (pictured). The yacht was left partially submerged, but still tied to its berths
The unrepentant sailor told the island’s Ultima Hora newspaper on Saturday that he would catch a flight to Poland from Mallorca just before boarding a train or bus to the Ukrainian capital.
He told the newspaper: “I will fight. As soon as I reach the first Ukrainian city, I will look for a military commander and ask him if they need me.
“I said to myself, ‘Why do I need a job if I have my own country?’ I had a good job as the chief mechanic of the boat and a good salary, but I will fight for my nation.
“I will not lose my country. I’m not a hero, I’m a middle-aged man, but I have a lot of experience as a mechanic. I have never held a weapon, but I will keep one if necessary. Why not’.
Speaking about the television footage he watched on a Spanish news channel that led to his alleged attack on Lady Anastasia, he added: “I live in a very similar building.
“I can see the Ukrainian parliament from my window. I was wondering what happened to my house when I saw the footage, because it is in a very similar position.