A Ukrainian court has handed down the first jail sentence for life against a Russian soldier accused of killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war. Dmitry Kurashov, 27, was found guilty of shooting dead Vitalii Hodniuk, a veteran 41-year-old Ukrainian soldier who had surrendered following capture in 2024. Ukraine's national police said that expert reports, witness testimony and video footage from the scene confirmed that the Russian soldier deliberately killed the POW on the orders of his commanders, who had instructed troops not to take Ukrainian soldiers captive.
In a months-long trial which began earlier this year, the court heard how Kurashov's unit stormed a Ukrainian position in the region of Zaporizhzhia on the morning of 6 January 2024. The prosecution stated that although Hodniuk crawled out of a dugout unarmed and surrendered, Kurashov shot him point-blank with several aimed AK-47 shots – a violation of the laws of war. Kurashov and his unit were later overpowered by Ukrainian forces and taken as prisoners of war.
Kurashov initially pleaded guilty but later retracted, claiming he did so to expedite the trial in hopes of a prisoner swap. He insisted that a Russian medic, who later died, was responsible for the shooting. His defense was contradicted by other unit members, who testified they witnessed Hodniuk surrender. Kurashov did not testify, and his lawyer expressed that he felt remorse and believed he was following orders not to take any prisoners. The prosecutor noted that Kurashov showed no remorse during the trial.
In a troubling context, it's noted that the recruitment of convicts into the Russian army for the Ukraine conflict is common, with many being sent to poorly trained penal military units. The practice raises significant concerns over the treatment of POWs, as Ukrainian officials have reported numerous cases of battlefield executions of prisoners by Russian soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
In a months-long trial which began earlier this year, the court heard how Kurashov's unit stormed a Ukrainian position in the region of Zaporizhzhia on the morning of 6 January 2024. The prosecution stated that although Hodniuk crawled out of a dugout unarmed and surrendered, Kurashov shot him point-blank with several aimed AK-47 shots – a violation of the laws of war. Kurashov and his unit were later overpowered by Ukrainian forces and taken as prisoners of war.
Kurashov initially pleaded guilty but later retracted, claiming he did so to expedite the trial in hopes of a prisoner swap. He insisted that a Russian medic, who later died, was responsible for the shooting. His defense was contradicted by other unit members, who testified they witnessed Hodniuk surrender. Kurashov did not testify, and his lawyer expressed that he felt remorse and believed he was following orders not to take any prisoners. The prosecutor noted that Kurashov showed no remorse during the trial.
In a troubling context, it's noted that the recruitment of convicts into the Russian army for the Ukraine conflict is common, with many being sent to poorly trained penal military units. The practice raises significant concerns over the treatment of POWs, as Ukrainian officials have reported numerous cases of battlefield executions of prisoners by Russian soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
