Based on the evidence collected by the SSU, another five members of russian occupation groupings, who took part in the military actions against Ukraine on the eastern front, have been sentenced to real terms of imprisonment.

Ukrainian defenders took the four militants prisoner during combat near Bakhmut and Avdiivka. The fifth one was detained when he was conducting reconnaissance for the enemy in Zaporizhzhia oblast.

One of the accused was sentenced to 12 years in prison, the other three - to 10 years, and another one - to 9 years in prison.

Among the convicted individuals is the commander of a unit of the russian occupation groupings, who joined the ranks of the so-called ‘LNR people’s militia’ long before the full-scale invasion.

A militant from the temporarily occupied Luhansk region, who had already been captured twice by Ukrainian defenders, has also been convicted.

First time, he was exchanged, but soon returned to the ranks of russia’s regular army. As a member of an enemy unit, the man participated in deterring Ukraine’s counter-offensive on the eastern front.

The court sentenced another two militants of the russian-controlled Vostok battalion. One of them, as part of an artillery unit, held the invaders’ positions near Yasynuvata in Donetsk region.

The other one was trained in a military camp in the temporarily occupied Donetsk region in 2014. He was then appointed a mechanic-driver of an enemy APC and sent to fight against the forces of the Anti-Terrorist Operation.

Later, he left his unit and secretly moved to Zaporizhzhia. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, the offender re-established contact with the militants and collected intelligence in the region for them.

The enemy asset was detained as a result of the SSU’s special operation in March this year.

One more sentenced individual is a member of the russian group Oplot, who took part in the warfare against the AFU near Donetsk and Mariupol.

The investigations were carried out by the SSU Offices in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.