Russian militant, call sign 'Yakut,' sentenced to eight years in prison

Kostiantynivka city district court (the Donetsk region) has sentenced a 50-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation (Yakutiya area) to eight years in prison for participation in a "DPR" terrorist organization.

As reported by Censor.NET citing the regional prosecutor's office, the man arrived in Ukraine in April 2015 and joined the terrorists of the self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic" as a Vostok Battalion shooter. He was given call sign 'Yakut' and sent in Yasynuvata (the Donetsk region), now occupied by Russian militants.

The Russian citizen was detained by border guards in September 2015 when he attempted entering Mariupol. Upon detainment he was wearing a camo uniform with documents in its pockets. The documents included a statement in which he was asking to dismiss him from a "DPR" military unit.

The man was denying his participation in the terrorist activities; however, a handwriting examination confirmed the statement was written by himself.

The mercenary has been found guilty of crimes under paragraph 1 article 258-3 (participation in a terrorist organization) and paragraph 1 article 332-1 (violation of the rules of entry/exit to temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.