Bohdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko are political prisoners
Former Ukrainian military service personnel have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for serving in the Aidar Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Bohdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko political prisoners. All four individuals were convicted on a charge of participation in a terrorist organisation for having previously served in the Ukrainian Aidar Battalion; Haviada was also convicted of undergoing training in terrorist activities. The criminal prosecutions and convictions of the four Ukrainian citizens violated the norms of international humanitarian law and their right to a fair trial. We demand the release of Bohdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko, that all criminal charges against them be dropped, and that their treatment comply with international law.
What were the charges against the four Ukrainian military service personnel?
Russian security forces detained Bogdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko in the occupied part of Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast at various times. All four were charged with participation in a terrorist organisation (Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for having previously served in the Aidar Battalion.
Bohdan Haviada joined the Aidar Battalion in 2014 as a guard in a platoon. Ruslan Kozmenko served as an operator in a technical reconnaissance platoon in 2018. Olena Ipatova also served briefly in the Aidar Battalion that same year as a senior medic on the front lines. Leonid Zinchenko was the commander of a grenade launcher group. He resigned from the military before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and was a pensioner.
On 11 August 2025, Ipatova was sentenced to five years and two months in a general regime penal colony. On 19 September 2025, Kozmenko was sentenced to five years and six months in a general regime penal colony. On 16 October 2025 Zinchenko was sentenced to eight years in a general regime penal colony. Bohdan Haviada was additionally charged with undergoing training in terrorist activities (Article 205.3 CC RF) and was sentenced on 3 December 2025 to 17 years in a strict regime penal colony.
Why do we consider Bohdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko political prisoners
None of the defendants was accused of committing war crimes. They were prosecuted solely for serving in the Aidar Battalion. The Russian courts wrongfully designated this unit a terrorist organisation. The Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion is part of the Ukrainian army and carries out combat missions under the country’s military command. Moreover, the provisions of counter-terrorism legislation are not applicable to a situation of armed conflict between states.
In international law, Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal; Ukraine’s actions in defending itself against this aggression are lawful and justified.
Furthermore, at the time of their arrests the defendants were no longer serving military personnel. Their prosecutions and convictions, therefore, are in gross violation of the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War and are part of a propaganda campaign aimed at justifying Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Detailed descriptions of the cases of Bohdan Haviada, Ruslan Kozmenko, Olena Ipatova and Leonid Zinchenko and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Bohdan Haviada and Olena Ipatova at the following addresses:
RU:
344064, г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Тоннельная, д. 4, ФКУ СИЗО-5 ГУФСИН России по Ростовской области, Гавьяде Богдану Александровичу, 1980 г. р.
EN:
Bohdan Oleksandrovych Haviada (born 1980), Remand Prison No. 5, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Rostov Oblast, 4 Tonnelnaya Street, Rostov-on-Don, 344064, Russia.
RU:
283086, г. Донецк, ул. Кобозева, д. 4, ФКУ СИЗО-1 ГУФСИН России по Донецкой народной республике, Ипатовой Елене Анатольевне, 1971 г. р.
EN:
Olena Anatoliyivna Ipatova (born 1971), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Donetsk People’s Republic, 4 Kobozeva Street, Donetsk, 283086, Russian Federation
We respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, for letters to reach their recipients in the occupied territories, addresses must be provided in accordance with Russian law.
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Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
If you have information regarding the places of detention of Ruslan Kozmenko and Leonid Zinchenko, or if you have information about their cases or circumstances, please contact us by email at [email protected]
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