Based on evidence collected by the Security Service, a further ten militants who fought against Ukraine as part of russian armed groupings have been sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Ukrainian defenders captured the militants during fighting in the Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk and Siversk sectors.

Seven of the men convicted are residents of the temporarily occupied Donetsk oblast territory who voluntarily joined the 1st, 5th, 100th, 114th and 132nd motorised rifle brigades of the aggressor state’s army at various times.

Among them are riflemen, a flamethrower operator and a driver who took part in ‘human wave’ assaults on Ukrainian Armed Forces positions near Pokrovsk.

Two residents of the Luhansk region also received prison sentences; they had signed contracts with the 7th separate motorised rifle brigade of russian forces, one as a driver and the other as a rifleman.

As part of the russian units, these men fought in the Sieverskodonetsk area and built fortifications near Lysychansk.

They were subsequently redeployed to the Sieversk sector to attack Defence Forces units, where they were taken prisoner.

Another of the convicted men, a native of Crimea, joined russia’s occupation forces and was appointed as a rifleman in the 72nd separate motorised rifle brigade.

After joining, he took part in fighting near Svitlodarsk and was later ordered to attack Ukrainian positions near Kostiantynivka, where he was captured.

Based on evidence, the court found all ten perpetrators guilty under two Articles of the CCU:

• 111.1, 111.2 (high treason);
• 111-1.7 (collaboration).

The investigation was conducted jointly with investigators of the SSU Office in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, under the procedural supervision of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.