Two Ukrainian soldiers from Azov were sentenced to 17 and 20 years in prison

The Southern District Military Court sentenced 29-year-old Ukrainian prisoner of war Dmitry Lebedev to 17 years in prison. Mediazona was informed about this by the press service of the court.

The Ukrainian was found guilty under articles of participation in a terrorist community and teaching terrorism due to his service in the Azov regiment. Lebedev will serve his sentence in a maximum security colony, the court said.

The same charge was brought against another Ukrainian prisoner from Azov, 45-year-old Vasily Mukhin. According to the prosecutor's office, he joined the regiment in 2015. Mukhin was captured by Russia in May 2022. The court sentenced him to 20 years in a maximum security colony.

As Mediazona learned, during the investigation Lebedev called himself a marine, and his military ID was attached to the case materials, confirming his belonging to this particular branch of the military.

However, already before the debate, Lebedev unexpectedly revealed that his military ID “is ​​actually fake and served as a cover,” and he himself fought in the Azov special forces detachment.

“The point is that in January 2022, when the headquarters of the regiment in which I served became aware of the goals of the Russian Federation, that is, the attack of the armed forces on the territory of Ukraine in February, an order was issued to draw up fake documents in case of the safety of the rank and file, since everyone knew what fate awaited the Azov residents. Of course, many of us greeted this as nonsense, because none of us was going to surrender and in general no one expected that everything would be so serious. I myself have been an active Azov citizen since 2019,” Lebedev said.

According to the prisoner, his real documents were burned during street fighting in Mariupol.

- Do you insist on this testimony? — Judge Nikolai Vasilchuk clarified. Lebedev answered in the affirmative.

The court did not examine Lebedev’s military record, since the expert and translator, called by the prosecution, were on vacation.

The prisoner refused to speak in the debate and refuse to have the last word. His defense lawyer mentioned that Lebedev received a shrapnel wound.

“If they give me less than 18, the guys will look at me askance,” Lebedev himself said. The prosecutor requested 19 years of strict regime for him.