Overview
- The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found the group guilty under the DNR criminal code of violent seizure or retention of power and participation in a terrorist organization.
- The case originally included 18 defendants, with proceedings for three now separated into individual cases.
- According to case materials, many defendants trained at the Yavoriv military center between 2019 and 2022 before serving in the 24th Assault Battalion and taking part in operations in Donbas.
- Most of the defendants were detained by DNR and Russian forces between February and April 2022, and defense lawyers said they will appeal.
- Court and media reports indicate three received 21-year terms, several received 20 years, and the lowest sentence was 15 years, with earlier hearings later closed to the public and detainees alleging ill-treatment.