Ukraine has sentenced a Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war in a landmark first ruling for the country.
Dmitry Kurashov, 27, was found guilty of fatally shooting Vitalii Hodniuk, a 41-year-old veteran Ukrainian soldier who surrendered when his dugout was captured by Russian forces in January 2024.
Kurashov told Reuters that he did not plan to appeal the decision, after the sentencing was handed down at the court in the city of Zaporizhzhia.
“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 was issued.
Kurashov was taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces, along with other Russian soldiers, shortly after Hodniuk’s killing. He pled guilty to the charge in court, but later told reporters that he was innocent and hoped to be released in a prisoner exchange.
He lost his left eye while fighting in Ukraine, having joined the military’s Storm V assault units in exchange for early release from prison for theft, according to authorities.
The Russian soldier declined to issue any final words to the court at the end of his trial and declined to answer questions from reporters, only smiling slightly when asked if he hoped he would be released in a prisoner swap. His lawyer did not attend the sentencing but previously told the court that a 10-year custodial sentence would suffice.
“It’s not too much for such a crime,” Manevskyi, who had pushed for a life sentence, said after the ruling.
The case carries symbolic importance for the country, with suspects accused of executing Ukrainian soldiers usually out of its jurisdiction.
Criminal investigations are underway into the alleged murder of 322 Ukrainian servicemen who had unconditionally laid down their arms and/or surrendered since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, according to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said in February that there had been an “alarming rise” in reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia.
It is illegal under international humanitarian law to execute prisoners of war and the wounded, and such actions are regarded as war crimes.
A 2024 UN report found that 95 per cent of released Ukrainian POWs had endured “systematic” torture, with prisoners describing beatings, electric shocks, suffocation, sexual violence, prolonged stress positions, mock executions, and sleep deprivation.
Russia has denied its troops have committed war crimes.
