Russian soldier sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting Ukrainian POWs in Kursk region

According to Ukrinform, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office reported this.

“The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv found the Russian serviceman guilty of a war crime and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The public prosecution was supported by prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, who insisted on this sentence,” the statement said.

The convicted man is a soldier of the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 40th Separate Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Armed Forces.

According to the investigation, in January 2025, during fighting in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, he and other soldiers set up an ambush. Two Ukrainian defenders surrendered: They laid down their weapons and raised their hands. Despite this, the defendant opened fire on them. Both prisoners of war were killed.

The court found that there was no military necessity to use force, and that the defendant was aware of the criminal nature of the order and could have refused to carry it out.

The occupier's actions were classified as a violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons, resulting in the death of persons protected by international humanitarian law.

The court also partially upheld the civil claim: The convicted person was ordered to pay UAH 50 million in moral damages to the injured party.

As reported, in October 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office informed Ukrinform that law enforcement agencies were investigating the executions of 322 Ukrainian prisoners of war: 263 were executed on the battlefield and 59 in the Olenivka colony.

Photo: Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine