Russian Duma chief sentenced in absentia by Ukraine court

Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the Russian State Duma, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison by a Ukrainian court, reports PAP. According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Volodin was found guilty of violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the inviolability of its borders.

Volodin, as a trusted associate of Vladimir Putin, played a key role in the preparations for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On February 15, 2022, he initiated a vote in the State Duma on a resolution urging Putin to recognize the independence of the occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SBU emphasizes that Volodin publicly supported this decision and provided the necessary backing from the deputies.

Volodin was also responsible for the ratification of the so-called "treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance" between the Kremlin and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which Ukraine recognizes as terrorist organizations. These legislative actions were used by the Kremlin to launch a full-scale war against Ukraine.

The SBU notes that Volodin continues to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories and supports Russian aggression. He often expresses his views during State Duma sessions and in media controlled by the Kremlin. Since Volodin is currently in Russia, the prison sentence will begin once he is actually detained.