Russian court sentences Ukrainian soldier to 15 years in prison over Kursk incursion
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Russia's Court has sentenced a Ukrainian servicemember to 15 years in prison over charges related to Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, Russian authorities said.
According to the press service of Russia's 2nd Western District Military Court, 46-year-old Andrii Hrynchyshyn, who serves in Ukraine's 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, is to spend the first five years of his term in prison, with the remainder in a high-security penal colony.
Russian investigators charged Hrynchyshyn with carrying out a "terrorist act" as part of a group. They claim he crossed into Russia's Kursk Oblast on Feb. 14, 2025, armed with an AK-74 rifle and grenades.
According to the investigation, Hrynchyshyn allegedly took part in the "armed blockade" and "illegal occupation" of territory in the village of Guyevo in the Sudzha district. He was captured on April 9, 2025, during combat operations.
The case is part of a broader wave of prosecutions targeting Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) captured during Ukraine's cross-border operation into Kursk Oblast launched in August 2024. Ukrainian forces initially advanced up to 1,300 square kilometers (around 500 miles) into Russian territory in an effort to divert Russian troops from eastern Ukraine.
Russia later launched a counteroffensive, reinforced by around 12,000 North Korean troops, eventually pushing Ukrainian forces out of the area.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims made by Russian authorities.
Ukraine and international observers have repeatedly condemned such trials as politically motivated and in violation of international law, citing a lack of due process and reports of mistreatment of Ukrainian POWs in Russian custody.
