2 Russia-backed militants sentenced to prison in Ukraine

Two captured militants were sentenced to prison. They fought in Ukraine as part of Russian invasion forces.

The SSU press service reported on the court verdict.

The court has found guilty two militants of the LNR terrorist organization, who fought against Ukraine.

“For trespass against territorial integrity and inviolability of our state and participation in unlawful armed formations, they were sentenced to 10 and 8 years in prison,” the SSU noted.

In May 2022, Ukrainian defenders took the militants prisoner during battle in the Luhansk Region.

The SSU established that one of the convicts began his “military career” in illegal armed groups formed by Russia in 2015.

Before the full-scale invasion started, he took part in clashes with the Ukrainian Armed Forces of Ukraine near the contact line in the Donbas.

According to the SSU, the man organized checkpoint duties and training grounds for Russian fighters.

The other convict went to war to evade a prison term for theft. The Security Service established that he had been sentenced to imprisonment three times: twice for robbery and once for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

When he committed yet another crime in 2021, he received an offer: to go to prison for the fourth time or to sign a contract “to serve” in the ranks of the so-called “LNR people’s militia.”

The statement emphasizes that the SSU investigators have gathered a substantial evidence base on these militants leading to actual conviction and imprisonment. The criminal proceedings were opened under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Part 2 Article 10 (trespass against territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
part 2 of Article 260 (unlawful armed formations).