Two Russian military courts have sentenced two captured Ukrainian soldiers to 20 and 19 years in prison, accusing them of shooting civilians in Mariupol. However, the allegations against the two soldiers cannot be verified and the Russian courts are not considered to be a politically independent power. Various media reported on the news, including the France-Presse agency. According to the Moscow Times, the Russian Military Court of the Southern District, based in Rostov-on-Don, accused Anton Cherednik of stopping two civilians during a patrol in Mariupol, leaving them lying on the ground and killing one of them by shooting him because they suspected he was a Russian intruder after he mispronounced a Ukrainian word. Also according to the newspaper, which cited Russian media, Cherednik said he fired because the man flinched as if he was about to pull out a gun. However, these versions cannot be confirmed and any statements made by the Ukrainian soldier may have been published under duress. Agence France-Presse reports that another Ukrainian soldier has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Russian court in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, in Donbass occupied by Kremlin troops. According to the so-called “Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Sergei Dumchik shot at a car with three civilians in it, but they managed to escape. Even in this case, the allegations cannot be verified and the UN believes that “the so-called judiciary” of the self-proclaimed Donbas republics, illegally annexed by Moscow a year ago, does not respect “the essential guarantees of a fair trial.” such as public hearings, the independence, impartiality of courts and the right not to be compelled to testify.” Mariupol was occupied by Russian troops after a long siege and incessant bombardment that devastated the city. The United Nations has confirmed the deaths of over 9,900 civilians since the invasion of Ukraine began, but believes the actual number of casualties could be significantly higher.
