Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s State Duma, has been sentenced in absentia to 15 years by a Ukrainian court, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) reported on Dec. 12.
The investigation identified Volodin as a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a key figure in the lead-up to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Feb. 15, 2022, Volodin presided over a Duma session that approved a resolution urging Putin to recognize the "independence" of the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.
Volodin publicly backed this resolution and ensured it received the necessary votes from Russian deputies. He later organized the ratification of the so-called "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance" between the Kremlin and the occupied territories.
These legislative actions were instrumental in Moscow's justification for launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Since the invasion, Volodin has continued to publicly support Russia's war effort, frequently using Duma sessions and state media appearances to propagate Kremlin narratives.
As of November 2024, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office reported charging 730 individuals and convicting 137 for committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Volodin’s sentencing underscores Kyiv's ongoing efforts to hold Russian officials accountable for their roles in the war.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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