**India’s Anti-Terror Agency to Interrogate Jailed Ukrainian Mercenary**
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to interrogate two foreign nationals, a Ukrainian and an American, who have been in custody since March. The individuals, identified as Viktor Kaminskyi and Matthew VanDyke, are accused of entering restricted areas in India without the necessary permits and allegedly crossing into Myanmar to provide training to armed groups.
On September 2 and 3, a Delhi court granted the NIA permission to conduct the interrogation of the two men, who are currently incarcerated at Tihar Jail in Delhi. Their arrest was part of a larger operation that resulted in the apprehension of five additional Ukrainians: Petro Hurba, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Marian Stefankiv, and Maksim Honcharuk. All were detained while attempting to leave India from three different cities.
The specific reasons behind the NIA's decision to interrogate only Kaminskyi and VanDyke remain unclear, although the agency has previously collected voice samples from all the detained individuals. Reports suggest that the NIA has gathered evidence linking the accused to the delivery of drone consignments from Europe to various individuals and groups in Mizoram, a northeastern state in India. This region has been noted for its connections to insurgent groups in Myanmar, which has drawn the attention of Indian authorities to the activities of the arrested individuals.
Matthew VanDyke, one of the detainees, is known as the founder of Sons of Liberty International, an organization that provides military training in conflict zones. His background includes involvement in various conflicts, notably fighting alongside Libyan rebels during the 2011 civil war. Concerns regarding his health have been raised by his family and legal representatives, who recently requested that he be allowed to receive treatment at a private hospital. However, a Delhi court denied this request, citing his deteriorating health as insufficient grounds for such a transfer.
In July, the court did grant VanDyke some concessions, allowing him access to special food items and a personal cook after he expressed that the prison meals, characterized as "spicy and oily," were adversely affecting his health. His family has been actively seeking support from the U.S. government, with reports indicating that U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, briefed Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about VanDyke's situation in May.
In light of the ongoing situation, Sons of Liberty International has issued a statement on social media platform X, calling for "urgent U.S. diplomatic intervention" to facilitate VanDyke's return to the United States.
The case has garnered attention not only due to the involvement of foreign nationals in alleged military training activities but also because of the geopolitical implications of their actions in a region marked by insurgency and conflict. The NIA's investigation continues as it seeks to clarify the extent of the detainees' activities and their connections to armed groups in both India and Myanmar.