The Kursk offensive POWs. Russian court prosecutes 115 captured Ukrainians on terrorism charges

Cases against 115 Ukrainian nationals who were fighting for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and captured in Russia’s Kursk region have been submitted to the 2nd Western District Military Court. They are accused of terrorism. An additional 11 cases involve foreign nationals who face charges of mercenarism. These figures are confirmed by Mediazona’s calculations, using data from the court’s website.

All Ukrainian prisoners are being prosecuted under the same article of the Russian Criminal Code: “a terrorist act committed by a group of persons, resulting in grave consequences.” The first trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war began in November 2024, but the court subsequently classified the names of all the accused, regardless of the type of case.

Despite this, the cases against AFU soldiers stand out because they are being tried in groups on the same charges. In January 2025, when Mediazona asked the court’s press service for a comment on the latest batch of cases, officials responded that “in order to ensure the safety of the participants in the trials,” neither the names of the defendants nor even the location of the hearings would be disclosed. The 2nd Western District Military Court is based in Moscow, but cases are typically heard in the region where prosecutors claim the alleged crimes were committed. At least one trial involving Ukrainian POWs was held at the Kursk Regional Court.

According to the 2nd Western District Military Court’s website, 30 defendants have already been sentenced. However, the Russian Investigative Committee has reported that a total of 32 Ukrainians have so far received verdicts:

March 5: Ivan Furlet, Yuriy Zadorozhny, Yuriy Sychenko, and Yuriy Hayuk were each sentenced to 17 years in prison.

February 25: Pavlo Oleksiuk, Serhiy Gorbachenko, Yuriy Andriychenko, and Grigory Lyashenko received prison terms ranging from 15 to 16 years.

February 20: Dmytro Ignatenko and Yuriy Maslyukov were sentenced to 14 and 15 years, respectively.

February 19: Serhiy Bochenko, Valeriy Malchenko, Serhiy Litvinenko, and Serhiy Bilichenko were each sentenced to between 15 and 16 years.

February 13: Anton Furdalenko, Serhiy Zavatskyy, Vasyl Taran, and Ruslan Savvakis received the same 15 to 16-year terms.

February 11: Dmytro Pilyai and Oleksandr Sereda were sentenced to same terms.

February 6: Konstiantyn Ochymovskyy, Oleksiy Nechyporuk, and Vitaliy Honobobablev received identical sentences.

February 4: Oleksandr Manko and Yuriy Radchenko were sentenced to 15 and 17 years, respectively.

January 14: Anatoliy Voloshyn, Volodymyr Arshulik, Serhiy Karayev, Oleksandr Doychuk, Zinoviy Sigerich, Andrian Kulbaba, and Oleg Vovk each received sentences ranging from 15 to 16 years.

In addition to Ukrainian soldiers, the 2nd Western District Military Court is also hearing cases against foreign nationals who have fought alongside the AFU. Ten cases have already been submitted. Some defendants are being tried in absentia, while others have been captured.

Today, British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson was sentenced to 19 years in prison. In addition to terrorism, he was also convicted of mercenarism.

The exact number of Ukrainian troops captured in the Kursk region remains unknown. In December 2024, Russian state news agency TASS, citing security service sources, claimed that 500 Ukrainian soldiers had been taken prisoner since August.