Russia handed down harsh sentences to two Ukrainian soldiers from Azov – 24 and 26 years in prison
9 June 16:53
In Russia, a court sentenced two Ukrainian servicemen, Ruslan Orlov and Artem Novikov, to 26 and 24 years in prison, respectively. Both are called members of the Azov regiment and are accused of involvement in the deaths of civilians in Mariupol in 2022.
This was reported by the press service of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Russian investigators charged Orlov and Novikov with several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:
- “Cruel treatment of civilians, use of prohibited means and methods of warfare”
- “Premeditated murder of two or more persons committed by an organized group for reasons of political and ideological hatred”.
According to the Russian investigation, in April 2022, in Mariupol, the Ukrainian military allegedly opened fire on three men who, according to the Russian side, did not take part in hostilities and had pro-Russian views. They were allegedly fatally wounded.
The court sentenced Ruslan Orlov to 26 years in a strict regime colony and Artem Novikov to 24 years.
Context: ideological trials in wartime
Ukraine has not yet officially commented on this verdict. At the same time, human rights activists have repeatedly emphasized the politically motivated nature of the trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia, including the Azovstal defenders.
International organizations have repeatedly called on Russia to comply with the Geneva Conventions on prisoners of war, including fair trial guarantees.
