In the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a court closed the trial of 18 captured Ukrainians due to "wide resonance and threats." This was reported by Mediaphone, according to UNN.
The defendants are accused of having served in the Aidar battalion, which has been declared a "terrorist organization" by the Russian authorities.
The prosecutor motivated his demand by the fact that "the trial received a wide public response" and "a threat to the safety of the participants in the trial and their close relatives," Mediaphone writes.
The prosecutor referred to a post by Ukrainian blogger and journalist Dmytro Gordon, who wrote that Ukraine allegedly has data on judges who sentenced prisoners of war.
Defense lawyers and defendants objected to the closure of the trial.