A Russian contract soldier was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of a National Guard member. He himself claims that Ukrainian saboteurs shot at the deceased.

Russian contract soldier Alexei Usenko was sentenced to ten years in a strict regime colony for killing one National Guard and threatening to kill another. Writes about this "Kommersant".

As follows from the case file, the crime was committed last year in a combat zone in Ukraine. According to investigators, Usenko stopped a civilian car that was driving next to a military convoy. There were two employees of the National Guard in the car.

Usenko, who was reportedly drunk, pointed a weapon at them and ordered them out of the car. The National Guard obeyed, and the driver even managed to introduce himself and get documents. At that moment, according to him, the contract soldier pulled the bolt and shot the second Russian guard in the stomach, mortally wounding him.

After that, he pointed the weapon at the driver, ordering him to lie down on the ground. At the sound of the shot, other servicemen ran and disarmed Usenko.

At the trial, Usenko claimed that he did not shoot anyone, and, according to him, the National Guardsman was killed by Ukrainian saboteurs allegedly hiding in the dark, or other Russian servicemen.

The investigation failed neither to find the bullet that killed the National Guard, nor to find traces of gunpowder on Usenko's hands. The shell case seized from him turned out to be unfired - it contained an igniting primer intact. The results of the polygraph test also testified in favor of Usenko. The degree of alcohol intoxication was not at all established by the examination.

Nevertheless, the Crimean Garrison Court did not accept these arguments of the defense and decided to sentence Usenko to nine years and six months in prison for murder and another year for threatening to kill. As a result, by partial addition of punishments, the court sentenced the contractor to ten years in prison.

Later, Usenko's defense appealed this decision to the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. But he left the decision of the court of first instance in force.

Kommersant notes that the prosecution explained the absence of traces of gunpowder on Usenko's hands during the trial by the fact that the swabs for research were taken from him only 12 hours after the incident. At the same time, microparticles of gunpowder were still found on the outer clothing of the contractor. And the results of the polygraph test, the court considered inadmissible evidence.

The contractor's lawyers now intend to seek a review of the case at the Cassation Military Court in Novosibirsk. At the same time, the verdict has already entered into force and Usenko should be sent to a colony.

Source: Kommersant

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