Russia sentences 15 Ukrainian POWs to up to 21 years in prison

Russian authorities accused them of participating in a “terrorist organization,” attempting to seize power by force, and undergoing “terrorist training,” according to the court’s press service, cited by Radio Liberty and Nastoyashchee Vremya.

The court handed down the following sentences:

• 21 years – Vitaliy Gruzynov, Roman Nedostup, Serhiy Kalinchenko
• 20 years – Mykola Chupryna, Taras Radchenko, Semen Zabayrachnyi, Serhiy Nikitiuk, Oleksandr Taranets, Vladyslav Yermolinskyi
• 18 years – Volodymyr Makarenko, Ihor Hayokha
• 16 years – Andriy Sholik, Vitaliy Krokhalev, Vyacheslav Baiduk
• 15 years – Dmytro Fedchenko

According to Mediazona, two female medics, Lilia Prutyan and Maryna Mishchenko, were also involved in the same case but were returned to Ukraine in a prisoner exchange. The cases against them, as well as against another defendant, Yevhen Pyatyhorets, were separated into separate proceedings.

Mediazona noted that the accusations were based solely on the fact that the men served in the Aidar battalion, with no specific war crimes attributed to them individually.

During the trial, several Ukrainian prisoners of war testified that they had been tortured during the investigation in Russian-occupied Donetsk. In October 2024, the court hearings were closed to the public, officially citing “public resonance” and “threats to participants in the process.”

A Russian defense lawyer, speaking anonymously to Nastoyashchee Vremya, said the proceedings violated international law. Defense attorneys, he added, faced major restrictions, including limited contact with their clients, undermining the right to a fair trial.

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly condemned such trials. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) emphasized that Ukrainian servicemen are lawful combatants under international law. If captured, they must be treated as prisoners of war and cannot be prosecuted simply for participating in hostilities.