Ukrainian Soldier Faces Life Imprisonment for Defecting to russia's Army

In October 2023, a 29-year-old citizen of Ukraine applied to the Simferopol Military Commissariat and signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to serve in the Russian armed forces.

According to the Prosecutor's Office of Kherson region, after completing military training, the accused was enlisted as a sapper-scout in the army of the occupying state, and in November 2023, he entered the mainland of Ukraine as part of it. Later, the man took part in active hostilities against the Ukrainian Defense Forces in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions. In November 2024, he was detained by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region.

The autonomy's prosecutor's office submitted an indictment against the Crimean to the court. He is accused of defecting to the enemy during an armed conflict, under martial law, and participating in the armed formations of the aggressor state. The accused is currently in custody. He faces life imprisonment.

Earlier, the autonomy's prosecutor's office submitted to the court an indictment against the occupying head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs department in the Nizhnegorsk district. He is charged with high treason and collaboration. The accused faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The case of the former commander of the missile boat"Pryluky", Captain 2nd rank, who in May 2014, during the occupation of Crimea, refused to take the boat to the mainland of Ukraine, as well as to perform military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was also brought to court. Later, he signed a contract for military service in the Russian Armed Forces as the commander of the small missile boat Project 21631 Vyshny Volochek.

Before that, former Major of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anatoliy Bilous was accused of defecting to the enemy and desertion.

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