Russian soldier sentenced to 15 years for surrender in Ukraine
The first sentencing has been handed down in Russia for voluntarily surrendering to Ukrainian forces. Officer Roman Ivanishyn received 15 years in a high-security penal colony. The verdict was issued by the military garrison court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
What do you need to know?
- Roman Ivanishyn, an officer of the 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade, was convicted of surrendering to Ukrainian forces and desertion.
- The 15-year sentence in a high-security penal colony is the first such case in Russia concerning voluntary surrender.
- Ivanishyn did not plead guilty, and his defense requested acquittal, claiming that the charges were not proven.
The military garrison court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk found Roman Ivanishyn guilty of surrendering to Ukrainian forces, which is a crime according to the Russian criminal code. The soldier was also charged with desertion from his military unit.
According to reports by Onet, Ivanishyn, a mining brigade leader from Sakhalin, was mobilized to serve in the 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade in the Donetsk region.
He attempted to escape from the unit twice, with the second attempt being successful on June 9, 2023, Eastern Time. He surrendered to Ukrainian troops near the village of Stepnoye.
A video appeared online in which Ivanishyn expressed opposition to the war and declared that he and his colleagues did not want to fight.
What's next for Roman Ivanishyn?
Upon returning to Sakhalin, Ivanishyn and 247 other soldiers, who were exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners, were detained by the garrison court.
Ivanishyn's conviction is the first known case in Russia concerning voluntary surrender to Ukrainian forces. An article regarding this crime was introduced into the Russian criminal code in 2022, shortly after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
