The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially confirmed the successful defeat of the area of concentration of forces of the Russian 1st Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment in the shelter and basement of the shelter in the city of Toretsk, Donetsk region.
Points of attention
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are prepared to act decisively to safeguard the security of the Ukrainian people and continue to combat the occupiers.
The recent achievements demonstrate the proactive stance of the Ukrainian military in defending their country against external threats.
New achievement of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a new powerful attack on the Russian invaders was carried out on March 21.
It is currently known that the location of the Russian soldiers was completely destroyed.
As a result of the attack, enemy personnel were hit, including airborne assault groups and UAV operators.
The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also notes that the result of the defeat is being clarified, but the destruction of enemy personnel and their hiding places significantly reduces the effectiveness of units of the Russian Armed Forces in the Torets direction.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are ready to act decisively to deprive the occupiers of the opportunity to threaten the security of the Ukrainian people. Until next time! Glory to Ukraine! — the official message says.
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced captured Ukrainian soldiers who served in the Azov regiment at various times. All of them plan to appeal the verdict.
Points of attention
23 Ukrainian Azov prisoners of war were sentenced by a Russian court to long terms of imprisonment, with accusations of violent seizure of power and organizing terrorist activities.
The defendants, who served in the Azov regiment at different times, plan to appeal the verdict, claiming false testimonies, lack of legal representation, and mistreatment during their interrogation.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is investigating the alleged cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners, highlighting the concerns raised about the legal process and treatment of the detainees.
23 Azovites illegally sentenced to long prison terms in Russia
The charges against the captured Ukrainians were based on the fact that they all served in "Azov" at different times and expressed "negative attitudes towards the Russian-speaking population" and also held "pro-Ukrainian radical views."
In particular, some fighters defended Mariupol and the Azovstal plant, while others had already left the service at the time of the Russian invasion and were detained at home or during filtration.
Ukrainians are charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (all under two, and some under the third):
violent seizure of power (Part 4 of Article 35, Article 278 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation),
organization of the activities of a terrorist organization (Part 1, Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation),
undergoing training for terrorist activities (Article 205.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
The accusation is based on the fact that Azov was recognized as a terrorist organization by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on August 2, 2022, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.
12 people received real terms, and 11 more defendants in the case were sentenced to terms in absentia.
Sentenced to 22 years in a strict regime colony:
Yaroslav Zhdamarov,
Oleksandr Merochenec,
Nikita Timonin,
Alexander Mukhin,
Oleg Tishkul,
Arthur Gretsky.
Sentenced to 20 years in prison:
Alexander Irkh,
Artem Hrebeshkov.
Oleg Mizhgorodskyi was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Oleg Zharkov was sentenced to 13 years in a strict regime colony.
Anatoly Hrytsyk and Oleksiy Smykov were sentenced to 19 and 23 years in prison in a maximum-security colony.
Eleven defendants in the case, who returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange, were sentenced in absentia. In particular, David Kasatkin and Dmytro Labinsky were sentenced in absentia to 23 years in a maximum-security colony.
13 years in a general regime penal colony were received by:
Olena Bondarchuk,
Lilia Pavrianidis,
Elena Avramova,
Iryna Mogytych,
Vladislav Maiborod,
Marina Tekin,
Nina Bondarenko.
Liliya Rudenko and Natalia Golfiner were sentenced to 14 years in a general regime penal colony. The women were tried in absentia. In September last year, all nine were released during a prisoner exchange. It is reported that eight women worked as cooks at Azov, and another was the head of the food warehouse until January 2022.
The case of Oleksandr Ishchenko, who died in the Rostov pre-trial detention center, was closed, so he was not sentenced. Russian documents that were handed over with the body of the deceased indicate that "the cause of death has not been established." The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is investigating the cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners.
In court, the defendants repeatedly claimed that their testimonies were falsified, they were interrogated without lawyers, they were treated in a degrading manner, they were denied medical care, and they were tortured.
