Belarus sentences ex-soldier who fought for Ukraine to 13 years in prison

A former soldier of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, Vasil Verameichyk, who fought on Ukraine'a side during the full-scale invasion, has been sentenced in Belarus to 13 years in prison.

That is according to Belsat, Ukrinform reports.

"Former Kalinouski fighter Vasil Verameichyk has been sentenced in Belarus to 13 years behind bars," the media outlet said, citing his wife, Yevgeniya.

Verameichyk, 34, is a graduate of the Belarusian Military Academy. He served in the Belarusian Armed Forces and held the rank of reserve lieutenant. In September 2022, Alexander Lukashenko issued a decree stripping him of his military rank. After completing his service in the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, he moved from Ukraine to Lithuania. However, according to Zerkalo, he was denied a residence permit there and subsequently travelled to Vietnam.

On November 20, 2024, it emerged that the former volunteer fighter from the Kalinouski Regiment had been detained in Vietnam and extradited to Belarus. The extradition took place following a request by the KGB.

Verameichyk served in the Volat Battalion of the Kalinouski Regiment, a Belarusian military unit fighting on Ukraine's side. He took part in battles in southern and eastern Ukraine. In April 2022, he was wounded in the Mykolaiv region during a fierce engagement in which only two of seven fighters survived.

First photo is illustrative: matrapac.com