The Kotelevskyi District Court of Poltava Oblast sentenced to imprisonment two servicemen of the Russian army — Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov, who shelled the Kharkov region from multiple rocket launchers. Both were sentenced to 11 years and 6 months behind bars, Suspilne reports.
They were found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war. Both fully admitted their guilt.
The prosecution insisted on sentencing the accused to 12 years. The defense, in turn, asked for 8 years. Lawyers referred to the sincere repentance of Russian soldiers and pressure on them from the leadership.
Until the verdict comes into force, Bobykin and Ivanov will be held in a pre-trial detention center.
Context. The investigation materials indicate that on the first day of the full-scale invasion, February 24, 2022, Bobykin and Ivanov fired from the Grad at civilian targets in the Kharkiv region, including residential buildings and an educational institution. The first one was a driver-loader of the Grad combat vehicle, the second one was a gunner. First they fired from the Belgorod region of Russia, and then from the Ukrainian territory. While already in Ukraine, Russian servicemen were taken prisoner after the Ukrainian Armed Forces had defeated a military convoy of invaders in Kharkiv Oblast.
The trial of Russian prisoners for war crimes began on May 19, a week later, on May 26, the oral hearings were held.
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