**Russian Court Sentences 8 Ukrainian Soldiers to Prison**
A court in the Russian-controlled Donetsk Oblast has sentenced eight members of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade to prison. The soldiers were accused of war crimes and actions against civilians during the fighting for the port city of Mariupol.
The Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic (DNR) handed down prison sentences ranging from 15-17 years. The court proceedings were held within the DNR’s jurisdiction, which is not recognized internationally.
**Long Prison Sentences**
Denys Syvets was sentenced to 17 years in prison, while Yurii Halatikyi and Vitalii Kirylenko received 16 years each. Ihor Zharenkov, Semen Belik, Yaroslav Bzhkov, and Leonid Bulava each got 15 years, 6 months. Pavel Bey received a sentence of 15 years, 3 months.
**Russian Law Used**
The Russian criminal code was used to charge the Ukrainian soldiers with cruelty to civilians and intentional damage to property. The prosecution claimed that the defendants fired mortars on gas distribution and pumping stations in Mariupol between March and April 2022.
**Coerced Confessions**
The Investigative Committee reported that the defendants confessed during the investigation, but many have accused Russia of using coercion, threats, or torture to obtain confessions.
**Other Cases**
This is not an isolated case. In October, Ukraine freed 95 Ukrainian defenders who were held in Russian captivity. A Ukrainian judge sentenced a woman living in Cherkasy, Ukraine, to life imprisonment for state treason after she provided Russian forces with military targets coordinates.
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