A driver in the Russian military was sentenced to 15 years in prison for fighting in the Kherson region

The court handed down a sentence to Andriy Khoruzhenko, a driver for the occupying police force who fought against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region. He was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison with the confiscation of all his property.

Intent learned this from the verdict of the Halytskyi District Court of Lviv.

According to the court, Khoruzhenko, a nativeand resident of Novoazovsk in the Donetsk region, while in the temporarily occupied territory, defected to the enemy and voluntarily joined the ranks of the 129th Regiment of the “People’s Militia” of the self-proclaimed “DNR,” which is part of the Russian Federation’s 1st Army Corps.

Until January 4, 2023, he served as a driver in the motor transport section of the support platoon of the 5th Rifle Battalion of that regiment and supported the combat operations of the illegal formation in the occupied territories of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

The court established that Khoruzhenko was listed in the database of the operational unit of the Security Service of Ukraine as a driver assigned to a BAZ A079 bus and an AK-74 rifle.

According to the investigation, in the correspondence of the chief of staff of the 129th Regiment on the Telegram messaging app—which was intercepted during covert investigative operations—a list of the regiment’s personnel repeatedly appeared, including the convicted man’s last name, his rank—private—and his position.

In addition, three prisoners of war confirmed during a photo lineup that they recognized the man among the individuals pictured.

The court also established that, according to data from the State Border Service’s “Arkan” database, Khoruzhenko had not crossed the state border or the line of demarcation since 2022.

The court found Khoruzhenko guilty of high treason (Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code) and collaboration (Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code).

For the aggregate of these crimes, he was sentenced to a final punishment of 15 years’ imprisonment, confiscation of all property, and a 15-year ban on holding office in state or local government bodies.

Earlier, another court handed down a verdict to an employee of the Donetsk Drama Theater who, during the occupation of Kherson, served in the ranks of the illegal armed group “DNR” and was on duty at a checkpoint near the Antonivsky Bridge.

Ірина Глухова