In 2014 Markiv joined the National Guard of Ukraine and took part in the Battles for Sloviansk. He is a deputy platoon commander in the General Serhiy Kulchytsky Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Imprisonment in Italy
Markiv is а suspect in the killing Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli near the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in May 2014 and was arrested in Italy, June 30, 2017. He is currently in prison in Pavia. According to the Ukrainian investigation, the journalists were killed in a shelling conducted by the "Russian-backed terrorist forces". On July 12, a court in the Italian city of Pavia sentenced Markiv to 24 years in prison for involvement in the death of Italian photo reporter Andrea Rocchelli in the Donbass region in May 2014.
Reaction in Ukraine and abroad
Journalist Paul Gogo, who worked in Slavyansk during the time of shelling, described the decision of the court as "mind-blowing" and such as based on false testimonies. According to Paul Gogo the Italian court proceeding was politicized and investigation wasn't done properly. The Advisor to the Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, People's Deputy from the People's Front faction, Anton Gerashchenko said the detention in Italy of Markiv, a soldier of a battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine, on suspicion of murdering an Italian photojournalist might be another provocation by the Russian special services. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine expressed concern about the arrest of Vitaly Markiv. As per ex-chief prosecutor of Ukraine Evgeniy Enin Ukrainian prosecution for three years tried to persuade Italian prosecution to visit the place of death to conduct the thorough examination, however Italian prosecution denied such proposal. According to the Ukrainian prosecution Markiv wasn't able to see or identify Rocchelli from his position. On July 4, 2017 Ukrainian activists organized a protest action against the detention Vitalii Markiv near the Embassy of Italy in Kyiv. On July 25, 2019, During the phone conversation with Italian PM Giuseppe Conte Ukrainian President Zelenskiy stressed an importance of unbiased investigation of the Andrea Rocchelli death and offered legal assistance from Ukraine in conducting a thorough joint examination of the circumstances of Rocchelli's death. The conviction of Markiv by Italian court was compared with conviction of Nadiya Savchenko by Russian court, also for allegedly directing mortar fire that killed journalists.
