Eight prisoners of war from the Aidar Battalion are political prisoners
Eight Ukrainians have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 13 to 20 years on charges of ‘participation in a terrorist organization’ for serving in the Ukrainian armed forces
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Yurii Bondarenko, Yaroslav Cherniak, Denys Demianenko, Serhii Dziuba, Oleksii Mozharov, Roman Petrovych, Andrii Romanenko and Andrii Rybak political prisoners. The eight men were convicted of ‘participation in the activities of a terrorist organization’ for serving in the Aidar Battalion. All except Cherniak and Rybak were also charged with ‘undergoing training in terrorist activities.’ Their prosecutions and convictions violated their rights to a fair trial. We demand an end to the criminal prosecution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and full compliance with international law.
What were the charges against the eight Ukrainian soldiers?
Yurii Bondarenko, Yaroslav Cherniak, Denys Demianenko, Serhii Dziuba, Oleksii Mozharov, Roman Petrovych, Andrii Romanenko and Andrii Rybak are citizens of Ukraine who served in the Aidar 24th Separate Assault Battalion, which is part of the 5th Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces. All eight men enlisted in 2024, participated in combat against the Russian army on Ukrainian territory, and were taken prisoner that same year (a few weeks after being sent to the front).
All eight were charged with ‘participation in the activities of a terrorist organization’ (Article 205.5, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and six (excluding Chernyak and Rybak) were also charged with ‘undergoing training in terrorist activities’ (Article 205.3 CC RF).
All eight were convicted and sentenced in the course of 2025. Yurii Bondarenko and Serhii Dziuba were sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, Denys Demianenko to 19 years, Roman Petrovych to 18 years, Oleksii Mozharov to 17 and a half years, and Yaroslav Cherniak and Andrii Rybak to 13 years. We do not know the sentence handed down to Andrii Romanenko.
Why do we consider the eight Ukrainian prisoners of war political prisoners?
The Ukrainian prisoners of war were not accused of war crimes. They were prosecuted solely for membership of a Ukrainian military unit unlawfully designated by Russia as a terrorist organization. Under international law, the actions of parties to an armed conflict cannot be classified as terrorism.
All those convicted were prisoners of war. Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for having participated in hostilities. Ignoring their status constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
The prosecutions of these eight Ukrainian citizens were politically motivated and conducted for purposes of propaganda. They were part of a campaign by the Russian authorities to portray Ukrainian military units as terrorist organizations, and the defence of Ukrainian territory as a criminal act.
Detailed descriptions of the cases of these eight prisoners of war and of our position are available on our website.
How can you help?
We know the address for letters to one of the eight prisoners of war. You can write to Yuriy Bondarenko at the following address:
RU:
Российская Федерация, 662606, Красноярский край, г. Минусинск, ул. Горького, д. 114, ФКУ Т ГУФСИН России по Красноярскому краю, Бондаренко Юрий Николаевич 1992 г.р.
EN:
Yurii Mykolayovych Bondarenko (born 1992), Prison of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Krasnoyarsk Krai, 114 Gorkogo Street, Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, 662606, Russian Federation.
You can also send emails via F-Pismo (for payment with Russian bank cards), ZT (for payment with all bank cards), and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
If you have information about the places of detention in which Yaroslav Cherniak, Denys Demianenko, Serhii Dziuba, Oleksii Mozharov, Roman Petrovych, Andrii Romanenko and Andrii Rybak are being held, please let us know by email at [email protected]
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
