Russian judge charged over illegal sentencing of Ukrainian POW

A judge from Russia’s 2nd Western District Military Court has been notified of suspicion for sentencing a Ukrainian service member in violation of international law and fair trial guarantees, the National Police of Ukraine reported.

Джерело: Нацполіція України

According to the investigation, Ukrainian servicemen were captured by the enemy while performing combat missions in the Kursk Oblast. Subsequently, a Russian judge brought charges against one of them under articles related to the alleged commission of terrorist acts, illegal crossing of the state border, illegal weapons trafficking, and the creation of illegal armed formations.

The judge, aware of the existence of an international armed conflict and the status of the Ukrainian serviceman as a combatant under the protection of international humanitarian law, issued a knowingly unlawful verdict: 14 years of imprisonment. Thus, the Ukrainian was intentionally deprived of the right to a fair and proper trial, as well as the right to a defense, the Ukrainian National Police elaborated.

The actions of the Russian judge were qualified under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “War crimes”. He was notified of suspicion in absentia. The sanction of the corresponding article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 12 years.

To provide background, in the fall of 2025, the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow issued a verdict against four Ukrainian prisoners of war. They likely participated in a special operation of the Main Intelligence Directorate in 2023, during which three Tu-22 strategic bombers were neutralized.

Previously, ZMINA reported that three Russian judges, who illegally sentenced Ukrainian intelligence officer and prisoner of war Oleksandr Liubas to 19 years and 11 months of imprisonment, were notified of suspicion under the article about war crime, committed by a prior conspiracy by a group of persons.

Earlier, ZMINA also reported that the President of Ukraine issued a decree adopting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions on Russian judges and to extend expiring sanctions against Russian companies. The list of names comprises 41 judges.