In Russia, 12 Ukrainian prisoners of war from the National Guard brigade "Azov" were sentenced to terms ranging from 13 to 23 years. Another 11 soldiers received sentences in absentia, UNN reports with reference to Russian media.
The court of the aggressor state in Rostov-on-Don stated that 23 Ukrainian soldiers and workers of the "Azov" brigade are allegedly guilty of intentions to seize power and organize the activities of a "terrorist" organization.
The participants in the "case of 24" convicted by the invaders are servicemen, handymen and cooks who served in "Azov". They were captured in the spring of 2022 during the fighting in Mariupol and its surroundings.
It is noted that out of 24 prisoners of war, only 12 became direct victims of judicial reprisal by the enemy. Two soldiers were exchanged before the start of the trial, and eight cooks and a storekeeper returned to Ukraine during the exchange, which took place in September 2023. Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Ishchenko died in the pre-trial detention center.
The Russian court sentenced 12 defenders who ended up in the dock to a strict regime colony for a term of 13 to 23 years. Released from captivity, soldiers and workers received sentences in absentia, and the case against the deceased soldier Ishchenko was closed.
Addition
During the last large exchange of prisoners of war, 197 defenders were returned to Ukraine. Among them 31 defenders of Mariupol, including 18 defenders of "Azovstal".
22 seriously wounded soldiers were also released.
The SBU and the National Police detained a fraudster who extorted money from relatives of prisoners of war and missing soldiers. An entire fraudulent scheme was liquidated.
