A Russian soldier who held a civilian woman hostage in Kupyansk was sentenced to 10 years. He was tried in person

A Russian soldier who held a civilian woman hostage in Kupyansk (Kharkiv region), has been sentenced to ten years in prison. He was tried in person because he was a prisoner.

This was reported by the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office.

The 54-year-old Russian took part in a repeated attempt to capture Kupyansk in September 2025. At that time, he was a rifleman. In Kupyansk, the Russian entered the building of the local police department and set up a firing position on the fourth floor.

When he saw two women on the street, he forced one of them to come up to him and threatened him with a weapon. He ordered the other to bring food, otherwise he would not let the first one go.

One of the women was forced to return home and bring him food. However, after that, the Russian interrogated them both again and ordered them to bring food in a week. In case of disobedience, he threatened to come to their home and kill them. When the women arrived at the police building on the appointed day, the Russian soldier had already been taken prisoner by the Defense Forces.

The court found him guilty of cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.