Mikus Alps has not been seen since leaving his home on 8 January. Hours later his burnt-out car was found near a secluded bay on the island’s south coast.
Human remains – fragments of bone – and a shotgun were found inside, but neither have been directly linked to the 33-year-old.
A ‘sombre and reflective’ letter purporting to be from Mr Alps has also been handed to the police since the start of the investigation.
In a press conference this week, Guernsey police chief Patrick Rice said one arrest had been made as part of an ancillary investigation, but he could not comment further as the case was going through court.
Since the discovery, it has been revealed that the Latvian national set up a public Facebook page called ‘Help Ukrainian Defenders C.I’ which asks for items including medical supplies, clothes and food.
According to Janis Pujats – who also acts as an administrator on the page – Mr Alps had planned to visit the Ukraine in November but had to postpone the trip.
He had rescheduled the visit for this month.
Mr Alps is one of more than 1,000 Latvian nationals who have volunteered in Ukraine since war broke out in 2014.
Mr Pujats, a fellow Latvian who had been speaking to Mr Alps online for around a year, said the Guernsey resident’s campaign was an entirely charitable operation.
‘It’s obvious that Putin’s Russia struggles to regain influence over former USSR territories. When the war in Ukraine started, we understood that Ukraine actually fights for our freedom too.
‘If they are taken over by Russia, we will be the next territories. That’s why during these more than three years over 1,000 persons in Latvia helped Ukrainian freedom fighters through our organisation.’
Mr Pujats confirmed that Mr Alps, a dealer in car parts, had previously driven a car to the country.
‘He has helped a lot – he drove a car there. [This] charity work is good in nature,’ he said.
‘Since 2014 I have been in Ukraine eight times – each time with cargo for Ukrainian army and volunteer fighters.
‘Four times I have been on the frontline. The volunteers are never supplying arms. Stories differ – some supporters become volunteer-fighters, mostly not.’
Posts on the page appear to show that Mr Alps made at least two trips to Ukraine.
