 "Russian soldier Kurashov, accused of committing a war crime, attends a court hearing expected to deliver a verdict in Zaporizhzhia. Reuters")
A Ukrainian court has ordered a life sentence for a Russian soldier for killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war, making it the first time Kyiv has passed a ruling like this.
The Russian soldier, Dmitry Kurashov, 27, has been found guilty of shooting dead a 41-year-old veteran Ukrainian soldier, Vitalii Hodniuk, who had surrendered following his capture by Russia in 2024.
Kurashov, who was taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces along with other Russian troops soon after the incident, pleaded guilty in court, although he later told reporters that he was innocent and wanted to be exchanged in a prisoner swap.
His sentencing carries symbolic importance for Ukraine, which says Russian forces have executed numerous Ukrainian prisoners of war, but that the suspects are usually outside their jurisdiction.
About the case
Ukraine’s national police said that “expert reports, witness testimony and video footage from the scene confirmed that the Russian soldier deliberately killed the POW on the orders of his commanders, who had instructed troops not to take Ukrainian soldiers captive”.
Kurashov’s case went to trial earlier this year as the court heard how his unit stormed a Ukrainian position in the region of Zaporizhzhia on January 6, 2024. The prosecution said that while the Ukrainian soldier, Hodniuk, had managed to crawl out of a dugout unarmed and surrendered, Kurashov shot him point-blank with several aimed AK-47 shots, which is a violation of war laws.
Kurashov claimed that Hodniuk died at the hands of a Russian medic, who is now dead. His account was disputed by other members of his unit, who were later captured by Ukrainian forces and are also being held as prisoners of war.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThey said they saw Hodniuk come out of the foxhole unarmed, with his hands raised, after Kurashov ordered the Ukrainians to leave their positions and surrender.
‘One of the most serious crimes’
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office told Reuters that criminal investigations were underway into the murder of 322 Ukrainian servicemen who had unconditionally laid down their arms and/or surrendered since the 2022 invasion.
“This is one of the most serious crimes, it’s an important matter for Ukraine, because such cases should not remain without consideration and an appropriate sentence,” said Mykyta Manevskyi, the lead prosecutor in the case, after the verdict.
Kurashov, who lost his left eye while fighting Ukraine, joined one of the Russian military’s “Storm V” assault units in exchange for early release from prison, where he was in custody for theft, according to Ukrainian authorities.
With inputs from agencies