At least 16 criminal cases against Ukrainian citizens filed with the military court in Rostov-on-Don in February
In February, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don received criminal cases against at least sixteen Ukrainian citizens accused of extremism, terrorism and participation in organisations banned in Russia. Among the defendants are both young men and individuals of more advanced age.
A significant proportion of those charged, twelve people, appear in cases connected with alleged involvement in the Azov battalion, which has been designated a terrorist organisation in Russia.
They include:
Sergei Borovik, 32
Sergei Gaikovich, 26
Aleksei Yermak, 44
Bogdan Belinov, 28
Mark Mikhailov, 22
Roman Tutov, 36
Aleksandr Afonin, 29
Ivan Kuznetsov, 23
Eduard Spizhevoi, 31
Vladimir Reva, 32
Yevgeny Krasnikov, 28
Dmitry Sentyabryov, 28
Public press releases relating to individual criminal cases against alleged Azov members are extremely rare, and little information is therefore available about the defendants. It is known, however, that Sergey Borovik and Mark Mikhailov were captured during the fighting at Azovstal in May 2022. Sergei Gaikovich and Bogdan Belinov had previously been sentenced by the so-called ‘Supreme Court of the DPR’ to 23 years’ imprisonment each.
Thirty-one-year-old Viktor Chepiga faces similar charges in connection with alleged participation in the Ukrainian Aidar battalion, which has also been designated a terrorist organisation in Russia. According to investigators, in April 2024 Viktor Chepiga voluntarily joined Aidar and, ‘for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity’, underwent training at a military training ground before taking part in combat operations against the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic, serving as a grenade launcher operator.
Several other cases stand apart because of the broader range of accusations involved.
Vyacheslav Nikiforenko, a 42-year-old resident of the Zaporizhzhia region, faces a series of charges connected with his activity online. These include incitement to extremism, two counts of justifying terrorism, the dissemination of ‘false information’ about the Russian army, and calls for activity directed against the security of the Russian Federation. He is also accused of participation in a terrorist organisation.
Sergei Obushny, a 63-year-old native of Cherkassy and a retired officer of the Security Service of Ukraine who was detained in Crimea, has been charged with incitement to extremism and the justification of terrorism. According to available information, the charges stem in part from a comment posted on Telegram calling for a drone strike on Red Square.
Tatiana Popova, a 50-year-old resident of Donetsk, has been charged with justifying terrorism and with espionage. Her relatives reportedly did not know her whereabouts for more than a month after her detention in May 2025.
The total number of known criminal cases against Ukrainian citizens currently before the military court in Rostov now exceeds 500. In many of these proceedings there is more than one defendant; in the largest case prior to a recent prisoner exchange, 24 individuals were standing trial.
On 10 February the Southern District Military Court also ruled to terminate the criminal case against 46-year-old Aidar member Aleksandr Gorenov ‘in connection with active repentance’. The wording appeared in the court’s public records for the first time. What precisely constituted Aleksandr Gorenov’s ‘active repentance’ remains unknown.