The SSU has collected substantiated evidence proving the guilt of eight members of russian occupation groupings.

The militants were captured by Ukrainian defenders during combat on eastern and southern fronts.

Following the SSU’s investigation, the court convicted the invaders to 8 to 15 years in prison.

Among the convicts is an assistant grenade launcher from the so-called ‘Prizrak’ battalion.

Since 2014, he has been fighting against the ATO forces and after the full-scale invasion attacked towns in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

During one of the offensive operations near Bakhmut, the militant was captured.

Two militants from the 7th separate motorized rifle brigade of russia’s the 2nd army corps were also sentenced to prison terms.

Together with other occupiers, they were on guard at russian checkpoints in the captured cities of Donetsk region and carried out artillery shelling of Ukrainian positions.

Another offender was tasked with detecting unmanned aerial vehicles of the Defence Forces in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region.

A militant who at the beginning of the full-scale invasion was in prison in the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region was also sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

The invaders offered him ‘amnesty’ if he joins the 100th separate motorized rifle brigade of the russian armed forces. For 20 days, the former prisoner took part in offensive efforts near Bakhmut and was captured there.

A resident of Kherson region received a prison term for voluntarily defecting to the enemy on the first day of the war.

Together with the russian military from the 56th regiment of the russian airborne troops, he collected intelligence on movement of UAF units on the southern direction.

In Poltava region, following the SSU’s investigation, the court sentenced two residents of Horlivka to 15 years in prison for voluntarily joining the occupiers on the eve of February 24, 2022.

They then took part in storming settlements in Donetsk region.

Based on the collected evidence, the court found these and other accused individuals guilty under five Articles of the CCU:

• 110.2 (encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability);
• 111.1, 111.2 (high treason);
• 111-1.7 (voluntary participation of a citizen of Ukraine in an unlawful armed formation created in the temporarily occupied territory);
• 258-3.1 (participation in a terrorist group or terrorist organization);
• 260.2 (participation in unlawful paramilitary or armed groups).

The SSU emphasizes the inevitability of punishment for crimes against Ukraine.

The SSU carried out the investigations jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.