Ukrainian soldiers face 16‑year sentences after Kursk defeat
Last summer, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in the Kursk region. Unfortunately, after months of fighting, they lost their gains. The portal antikor.com.ua reports on the current status of Ukrainians captured by the Russians in the Kursk region. Many of them may not return home for years, and it is uncertain if they will survive the conditions they face.
The Ukrainian army began an operation in the Kursk region in August 2024. The likely aim was to relieve forces fighting in the Donbas and to gain leverage in negotiations with the Russians regarding territorial exchanges. Unfortunately, the Ukrainians did not achieve these objectives. They suffered significant losses, though they did manage to surprise Putin's army when they entered the Kursk region.
The Russian dictator demanded the immediate expulsion of Ukrainians from Russian territory. Pressure from the opponents increased, and by February and March, there were reports of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from near Kursk. In April, the Interfax agency reported that the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, informed Putin about the completion of the operation aimed at regaining full control over the Kursk region.
The Kursk operation: Russians captured Ukrainians, punishment for the commander
The Russians captured some soldiers during the fighting in the Kursk region. The portal antikor.com.ua reports that Russian courts are sentencing participants in the operation to 16 years in prison.
The Investigative Committee reported that the platoon commander of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Senior Lieutenant Dmytro Yaremov, was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment. The first 5 years are to be served in prison, with the remaining part of the sentence in a high-security penal colony.
The Ukrainian officer was accused of committing a terrorist act on the territory of the Kursk region. It was alleged that "in October 2024, Yaremov, armed with a machine gun, illegally crossed the border of the Russian Federation as part of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
Yaremov is accused of "intimidating local residents, hindering their evacuation, repeatedly opening fire on Russian soldiers and civilians, and participating in the illegal armed blockade of the village of Novyy Put." However, it should be noted that many of these accusations are likely fabricated, and the trials may be propagandistic in nature.
Sentences in Russia: Ukrainians sentenced to 16 years in prison
Similar charges were brought against other Ukrainian soldiers captured during the Kursk operation. In just the last two days – May 14 and 15 – the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported four additional convictions against Ukrainian servicemen, with identical terrorism charges and identical sentences of 16 years of imprisonment.
