A Russian court has sentenced five Ukrainian soldiers to lengthy prison terms for their alleged role in Kyiv’s military incursion into the Kursk region, classifying them as terrorists.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday by the Second Western Military Court in Moscow, found the men guilty of “committing a terrorist act in a group resulting in grave consequences,” according to Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office.
The soldiers, identified as Oleksandr Vedernikov, Oleksiy Pinchuk, Yevgen Khatenko, Oleksandr Dzyoma, and Denys Popov, received sentences ranging from 15 to 17 years in a maximum-security penal colony.
The court accused them of attacking Russian soldiers and civilians, blocking their movement, and laying mines in the region during Kyiv’s cross-border operation in August and September 2024.
Prosecutors released footage of the convicted soldiers wearing Russian prison uniforms and being led through a snowy Moscow court in handcuffs by masked and armed officers.
During the trial, Popov and Dzyoma were shown in a defendant’s cage, their heads lowered, before standing to admit guilt. Russia’s Investigative Committee claimed the men were part of Ukraine’s 92nd Brigade.
The sentencing follows President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the Kursk region, where he reiterated his stance that Ukrainian forces operating on Russian soil should be treated as “terrorists” rather than prisoners of war. His visit, the first to the area since the full-scale war began, underscored Moscow’s determination to maintain control over its border territories.
The verdict also comes a day after a phone call between Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, reportedly discussing a potential ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.
While Kyiv has not officially commented on the sentencing, the ruling further escalates tensions between the two nations as Russia continues its military campaign in Ukraine.
