MOSCO: A military court in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, has convicted 15 captured Ukrainian soldiers from the Aidar Battalion on terrorism charges, sentencing them to between 15 and 21 years in prison.
Ukraine swiftly condemned the verdict, calling it a sham trial and a violation of international law. The Friday ruling marks Russia’s second mass conviction of Ukrainian prisoners of war this year, following the March sentencing of 23 members of the Azov Brigade under similar accusations.
Ukraine’s human rights envoy, Dmytro Lubinets, earlier denounced the Aidar trial as shameful, accusing Russia of making criminals out of those who defended their homeland.
The Russian rights organization Memorial has recognized the convicted soldiers as political prisoners, arguing that their prosecution violates the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit trying POWs for taking part in armed conflict.
This grossly violates international law, Memorial said, noting that the soldiers were prosecuted solely for belonging to the Aidar Battalion and not for any specific war crimes.
Russia has officially designated both the Aidar and Azov battalions as terrorist organizations, alleging they committed atrocities during the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The two units were originally volunteer formations created in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and later integrated into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Both groups have faced past criticism over alleged far-right affiliations claims their current leadership strongly denies.
The Rostov-on-Don military court, located near the Ukrainian border, conducted most of the proceedings behind closed doors, allowing journalists to attend only the opening session and the verdict announcement.
Initially, 18 members of the Aidar unit were charged in 2023, but two nurses were later released in a prisoner swap, while another defendant—a driver—will face trial separately.
Aidar spokesperson Ivan Zadontsev called the sentencing “a political show trial meant to punish our servicemen,” vowing that the battalion would continue to lobby for their release.
The Ukrainian government has demanded the immediate release of the soldiers, urging international organizations to intervene and hold Russia accountable for what it calls a blatant breach of wartime law and human rights standards.
