MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) – A criminal case over illegal border crossing was opened in Ukraine after ex-Odessa governor Mikheil Saakashvili broke through the country’s border, the Ukrainian police reported Monday.

Eleven police officers were injured during the security operation near a border crossing checkpoint, the statement reads.

Under the law, Saakashvili could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted.

In July 2017, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko stripped Saakashvili, who was appointed the Odessa region governor in May 2015, of his Ukrainian citizenship. However, Saakashvili said in August that he is going to come back to Ukraine from Poland on September 10, 2017.

In early September, Georgia asked Ukraine to arrest and extradite Saakashvili for the third time. Ukraine’s Deputy Justice Minister Sergey Petukhov confirmed that the request was received. Georgia has provided guarantees that the request is not politically motivated and Saakashvili’s rights and freedoms would not be violated, the Ukrainian official added.

Earlier, Georgia sent the Ukrainian Prosecutor General two requests for the arrest and extradition of Saakashvili.  Ukraine refused to extradite former President of Georgia because charges against him are politically motivated, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's office said.