Russia sentences 15 captured Ukrainian fighters to 15–21 years in prison
A Russian military court sentenced 15 members of Ukraine’s Aidar Battalion to 15–21 years in a maximum-security penal colony on Friday, after convicting them of participation in a “terrorist organisation,” according to Russia’s Prosecutor General.
The men, captured in 2022, were tried behind closed doors in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Russia claims the charges relate to alleged activities from August 2014 to March 2022, long before the full-scale war between the two countries began. None were accused of war crimes, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Rights groups, including Russia’s Memorial, have criticized the trial as a violation of the Geneva Conventions regarding prisoners of war. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman previously described the proceedings as “shameful,” though there was no immediate official comment on the verdicts.
The Aidar Battalion was one of several volunteer units formed in Ukraine after 2014, some with ultra-nationalist roots, later integrated into Ukraine’s armed forces. According to reports, two of the men admitted guilt, while the other 13 plan to appeal.
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