Prisoners of war of “Azov” fighters sentenced in Russia

A Russian court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced 23 captured Ukrainians — fighters of the “Azov” brigade and people who worked in its logistics support — to imprisonment in a maximum-security colony.

This was reported by the Russian opposition media outlet Mediazona.

Initially, 24 people were involved in the fabricated case. However, in July 2024, Oleksandr Ishchenko, who worked as a driver in the “Azov” brigade, died in a Russian pre-trial detention center — the case against him was closed. Two more servicemen — Davyd Kasatkin and Dmytro Labinsky — returned to Ukraine in exchange before the trial began. Later, Ukraine exchanged nine more women: eight cooks and one storekeeper, who worked in the brigadeʼs logistics.

The captured Ukrainians were accused of having served in Azov at various times and of allegedly expressing a “negative attitude towards the Russian-speaking population” and of holding “pro-Ukrainian radical views”.

12 Ukrainian prisoners were present at the Rostov court, and they received the following terms:

• Oleksandr Mukhin — 22 years old;
• Yaroslav Zhdamarov — 22 years old;
• Oleh Zharkov — 13 years old;
• Anatoliy Hrytsyk — 13 years old;
• Oleksiy Smykov — 13 years old;
• Oleh Mizhhorodsky — 17 years old;
• Oleksandr Irkha — 15 years old;
• Artem Hrebeshkov — 20 years old;
• Artur Hretskyi — 22 years old;
• Oleksandr Merochenets — 22 years old;
• Oleh Tyshkul — 22 years old;
• Mykyta Timonin — 22 years old.

All the convicts will appeal the verdict. Before the verdict was announced, Oleh Zharkov felt unwell — his stomach hurt, and an ambulance was called for him.

Another 11 Ukrainians were sentenced in absentia because they returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange. Davyd Kasatkin and Dmytro Labynsky were sentenced in absentia to 23 years in a maximum-security colony. Another nine exchanged women, who worked as army cooks at various times, were sentenced in absentia to terms in a general-security colony, since there are no maximum-security colonies for women in Russia.

International humanitarian law prohibits the trial of prisoners of war — Russia is once again violating this.

• This is not the first time that the Russians have illegally tried Ukrainian military personnel. On December 11, 2024, the Russians in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region sentenced the soldiers of the 36th separate marine brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who were defending Mariupol at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

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