Russian Court Sentences Ukrainian Soldiers to Long Prison Terms
Two Ukrainian soldiers, Vitalii Panchenko and Ivan Dmytrakov, have been sentenced to long prison terms by a Russian court. They were convicted of “terrorism” for fighting in the Kursk Oblast region of Russia.
The court said that they had crossed into Russia from Ukraine on August 7 and opened fire on Russian soldiers and civilians. However, this is not the first time that captured Ukrainian soldiers have been accused of such charges by Russia.
Russia’s Investigative Committee also accused them of illegally crossing the border and abducting three Russian citizens to take back to Ukraine. They were also accused of looting a grocery store in a town still held by Ukrainian forces.
The court sentenced Panchenko to 14 years in prison and Dmytrakov to 15 years. Both men will have to serve the first three years of their sentences in prison, followed by time in strict regime penal colonies.
Many Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia are subjected to physical and psychological torture, according to Ukrainian officials. This is not an isolated case, as nine Ukrainian soldiers were recently sentenced to between 24 years and a life sentence for defending Mariupol.
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