Illia Popov is a citizen of Ukraine and a serviceman of the "Azov" special forces brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He was taken prisoner in Donetsk Oblast no later than May 17, 2022.
On July 1, 2026, the Southern District Military Court found Popov guilty under Part 2 of Article 205.4 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Participation in the activities of a terrorist community") and Article 205.3 ("Undergoing training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity"), and sentenced him to 19 years in a strict-regime penal colony.
According to the prosecution's account, in February 2022 Popov "voluntarily joined the separate special-purpose detachment 'Azov'... From February to May 2022, serving as a rifleman, he took part in combat operations on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, and from February to March 2022 he underwent training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity."
