Dozens of Ukrainian POWs sentenced to lengthy terms in Russia return hom
As part of the latest stage of a ‘combined prisoner exchange’, 261 service members and nine civilians have returned to Ukraine, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. At least 58 of those released had been convicted by Russian courts on criminal charges and included in Political Prisoners Memorial’s database of people deprived of liberty on political grounds.
Three of them had been sentenced to life imprisonment: Denys Hanhala, Denys Rashplia and Vladyslav Syhys. We also know the sentences handed down to another 39 people, ranging from six years to 29 years and four months, with a median sentence of 20 years.
Criminal cases were opened against at least nine of them twice, and against Dmytro Kucheriavyi three times.
At least 39 of the 58 were tried under Article 205.3 of the Russian Criminal Code (undergoing training for terrorist activity) and/or Article 205.4, Part 2 (participation in a terrorist community) or Article 205.5, Part 2 (participation in a terrorist organisation). Prisoners of war face these charges solely over their service with specific military units, usually Azov and Aidar, and their military training.
‘Most of the defenders released today were taken prisoner in 2022 during the defence of Mariupol,’ Ukrainian authorities say. The same is true of those released who had faced criminal prosecution: more than half were detained in Mariupol.
Among those released in the exchange on 23 October was Denys Muryha, who was no longer serving in the military when he was detained. He had served with Azov in 2015 and was detained during ‘filtration’ in March 2022. Another Ukrainian who has returned home is Oleksandr Saakian. According to the prosecution, he remained in Mariupol after it was captured by the Russian Armed Forces, used a forged passport and engaged in partisan activity.
Ukrainians convicted on criminal charges and released on 23 October:
Maksym Bozhko
Serhii Budykov
Valentyn Vasyleiko
Vladyslav Veselovskyi
Denys Hanhala
Serhii Heremes
Leonid Hlushchenko
Mykola Huzema
Andrii Zhyzhoma
Serhii Zavhorodnii
Vasyl Zalutskyi
Oleksii Kaliuzhnyi
Yevhen Kapustian
Anatolii Kyliushyk
Andrii Klementovych
Oleh Klymovskyi
Dmytro Klusenko
Yevhen Kolomeiko
Kostiantyn Kolchenko
Yurii Kondratskyi
Serhii Kopylov
Vladyslav Kormylin
Valerii Korovin
Bohdan Kravchenko
Serhii Krasiuk
Oleksandr Kucheriavenko
Dmytro Kucheriavyi
Yevhen Lavrenko
Heorhii Letiahin
Vladyslav Lukianov
Vladyslav Liashuk
Ruslan Maistruk
Oleksandr Maksymchuk
Oleksandr Mandzak
Oleksandr Matushanskyi
Herman Matiushyn
Ivan Melnykovych
Nazarii Moroz
Denys Muryha
Roman Nechyporenko
Rostyslav Okhrymenko
Viktor Pavlenko
Oleksandr Panov
Andrii Pyliavskyi
Mykola Pohrebniak
Serhii Prud
Denys Rashplia
Dmytro Remez
Maksym Romaniuk
Oleksandr Saakian
Vitalii Savchenko
Anton Saikhiiev
Yan Samarskyi
Viacheslav Symbyrskyi
Eduard Spyzhovyi
Oleksandr Stafiichuk
Vladyslav Syhys
Yurii Tryfanov
