A Russian court has handed down lengthy prison terms to two Ukrainian soldiers for war crimes committed in March 2022, the Investigative Committee reported on Monday.
The defendants, both Ukrainian navy marines, were charged over an episode that occurred while they were manning a position in Mariupol in what is now Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. Their commander ordered them to shoot a person in civilian clothes, claiming that he could report their location to enemy forces, the statement said.
Russian investigators presented evidence that the court found sufficient to convict the defendants, the Committee said. They were indicted for cruel treatment of civilians during an armed conflict and conspiracy to commit murder for political or ideological motives.
The men, identified as Valentin Kharlamov and Anton Sayun, held the military rank of sailor – equivalent to private in the Ukrainian Navy. The court sentenced each of them to 24 years and six months in prison, the report said.
Investigators released footage of interviews in which the men confirmed their culpability for shooting the non-combatant. Sayun said their superior who issued the criminal order personally fired at the victim along with them, using a machine gun. The Committee said it was working to identify and prosecute everyone involved.
Both men served in the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces. The unit belongs to the Marine Corps, now a separate military branch, but in 2022 was part of the Ukrainian Navy.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced the creation of the Marine Corps in May 2023. The UK reportedly played a crucial role in training Ukrainian soldiers in amphibious warfare as part of the reform.