Three years of reporting, funded by our readers — become a member now and help us prepare for 2025.
Goal: 1,000 new members for our birthday. Gift a membership to your friend and help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Become a member Gift membership
Skip to content
Edit post

Finnish court charges Russian neo-Nazi fighter with entering country illegally

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk January 31, 2024 8:43 AM 2 min read
Members of the neo-Nazi paramilitary unit Rusich walk by the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, Russia, on March 14, 2023. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

A Finnish court charged Yan Petrovsky, a Russian neo-Nazi mercenary who has fought against Ukrainian troops, with illegally entering the country on more than one occasion, the Finnish media outlet YLE reported on Jan. 30.

Petrovsky is a co-leader of Rusich, a Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary unit that has fought against Ukraine. He is accused by Ukraine, and now Finland, of committing war crimes during the Russian invasion of Donbas that started in 2014.

Finnish authorities arrested Petrovsky in July as he tried to fly to France under the name Voislav Torden.

Ukraine requested his extradition so that he could stand trial for the alleged war crimes, but a Finnish court ruled on Dec. 8, 2023, that he could not be forced to go to Ukraine because it said conditions in Ukrainian prisons do not meet standards set by the European Convention on Human Rights.

Ukraine has said that Russian prisoners of war are treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Petrovsky was released on Dec. 8, but a Finnish court ordered him back into custody three days later. Over the following days, Finnish authorities publicly speculated about the possibility of trying Petrovsky in Finland for his alleged crimes in Ukraine.

He was charged on Jan. 30 with violating the laws for entering Finland, which can carry a sentence of 60 days in prison if found guilty.

Petrovsky's alleged border violations do not preclude him from also being charged for possible war crimes he committed in Ukraine. Such charges must be brought by the end of May at the latest, the court said. The Finnish police said in December 2023 that they had begun a preliminary investigation into the alleged war crimes but have yet to file any charges formally.

If official war crimes charges are announced and a trial proceeds, it would be a novel occurrence, as Petrovsky is not a Finnish citizen, and the alleged crimes did not happen in Finland.

The Rusich unit prides itself on atrocities, publishing photos and videos of the torture and murder of Ukrainian citizens.

Another co-leader of the Rusich unit, Alexei Milchakov, has posed with a swastika flag and called for “killing homeless people, puppies and children.”

Ukraine war latest: Cabinet of Ministers submits updated draft law on mobilization to parliament
Key updates on Jan. 30: * Cabinet of Ministers submits updated draft law on mobilization to parliament * Military intelligence: Russia shows no intent to return bodies of POWs allegedly on crashed Il-76 * Official: Russia launches 5 attacks with chemical weapons on southeastern front lines in pa…
Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.
It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
Become a member Gift membership
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.