Russia "sentences" seven Ukrainian POWs to 15–17 years in prison, including "Aidar" fighter
A military court in Russia has "sentenced" seven Ukrainian servicemen, who were captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region, to prison terms ranging from 15 to 17 years.
This is reported by "Nastoyashcheye Vremya (Current Time)" with reference to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee, Censor.NET reports.
It is noted that all seven Ukrainians were found guilty in the case of terrorist attacks in the Kursk region (Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
What Russia accuses the Ukrainian servicemen of
According to the Russian investigation, three of the soldiers — Oleksandr Kramarenko, Anatolii Savchuk, and Ruslan Fedosieiev — were allegedly present in the villages of Pohrebky and Mala Loknia in the Sudzha district of Kursk region.
They are accused of "intimidating local residents, seizing homes, and repeatedly opening fire on Russian military and civilians.
Four other soldiers — Yevhen Butelskyi, Dmytro Strutynskyi, Oleksii Polienov, and Serhii Yeshchenko — allegedly held control over the villages of Vetreno and Olhivka in the Korenevo district, "planted mines," "monitored Russian troops," "intimidated civilians," and "obstructed evacuations," according to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.
Conviction of an "Aidar" battalion soldier
On 8 April, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced a Ukrainian citizen — a former fighter of the "Aidar" battalion — to 18 years in a high-security penal colony, according to Russian state agency RIA Novosti.
The man was reportedly detained by FSB officers at a checkpoint in Russia’s Rostov region in October 2023, although it remains unclear whether he was detained or abducted.
The FSB claims that in 2015, the Kosolap joined the Aidar battalion in the village of Polovynkyne, Starobilsk district, Luhansk region, and left the unit in late November of the same year upon discharge.
Because the Aidar battalion is banned and designated as a terrorist organization in Russia, the man was charged under Russian terrorism laws and sentenced accordingly.
Earlier, it was reported that the Southern District Military Court had also sentenced 24 members of the Azov Brigade, with terms ranging from 13 to 23 years in prison.
