Russia jails soldier for 15 years for voluntarily surrendering to Ukraine, Kommersant reports
MOSCOW, April 15 (Reuters) - A Russian military court on Tuesday jailed a soldier for 15 years after convicting him of desertion and voluntary surrender to Ukraine, Russia's first such prosecution, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
Russia in September 2022 introduced the crime of voluntary surrender, which is punishable by between three and 10 years in prison.
According to Kommersant, a court on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin found soldier Roman Ivanishin guilty of voluntary surrender, of attempting to voluntarily surrender, and of desertion.
Ivanishin, who was reported to have denied all the charges, will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility.
His trial was held behind closed doors.
The newspaper reported that Ivanishin, a miner on Sakhalin in civilian life whom local media described as a veteran of Russia's wars in Chechnya, was mobilised in 2022 and fought in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
He was captured by Ukrainian soldiers in June 2023 and, in a video published on the internet, was shown denouncing Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and calling on other soldiers to desert.
It was not clear from the report in Kommersant whether he had been speaking under duress in the video. His defence team was reported to have sought his acquittal, saying there was no evidence he had committed any crime.
Ivanishin was returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange in January 2024 and was placed under investigation, Kommersant said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
21 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Britain is our enemy number one, Russians say as new poll puts UK above even Ukraine as Moscow's top foe
BRITAIN has been declared as Russia's biggest national threat - even beating out Ukraine and the United States. A bombshell survey revealed that more than a quarter of Putin's Russia saw the UK as their most formidable opponent on the world stage. 7 Putin's state TV mocked the UK after it was declared public enemy number one Credit: East2West 7 The UK and Keir Starmer have been declared as Russia's arch nemesis Credit: Getty 7 A survey taken by a pro-Putin agency showed that more than a quarter of the public saw the UK as their top opponent Credit: AP 7 The UK has been dubbed one of Ukraine's toughest allies throughout Putin's horror invasion Credit: AP Some 28 per cent of Russians named Britain as their number one sworn enemy, ahead of Germany on 25 per cent, the US on 24 per cent and France on 23 per cent. Bizarrely, Ukraine - which Moscow has been at war with for over three years - was seen as the prime foe by only 22 per cent of the public. The shocking poll was unveiled on Russia Day, June 12, which marks the country's separation from the dissolving Soviet Union 35 years ago. The new rating for the UK comes from a pro-Kremlin polling agency called INSOMAR. It is the latest in a long history of jabs taken at Britain by Putin's propaganda machine, which has consistently branded the UK as one Ukraine's staunchest allies since Russia's 2022 invasion. In one recent broadcast on Russian state television, leading Putin mouthpiece Vladimir Solovyov said: 'I can't understand why the British have gone mad [with the new UK defence review]. 'Where do they want to clash with us? He rambled on: "Do they think that we have already landed, entered the Thames somewhere and are now storming Westminster Abbey?" Solovyov made the baseless claim that the UK had staged clandestine undercover operations against Russia. The Putin yes-man said: "Actually, the attack on Russia's cyber security system was carried out by the British. New footage of Op Spiderweb shows drone blitzing Putin's burning aircraft "Then, let me remind you that the water threat [to Russia] came from the British, when they were trying to figure out who Crimea belonged to. He also claimed that British reconnaissance aircraft were "flying through our airspace". Solovyov - who is decorated by Putin for his work as a propagandist - also said: 'Most importantly, I would like to say something separately to Starmer.' He said in a mocking English accent: 'Scottish people, you have to fight for your independence.' Reverting to Russian, he told viewers across his country's 11 time zones: 'Scottish brothers, you must fight for your independence. Right? "These English colonisers have no business on Scottish soil." Another propagandist named Andrey Sidorov then suggested the Welsh should "break free" too. Sidorov has frequently advocated using the untested Russian Poseidon unmanned submarine to sink Britain under a tidal wave. 7 Leading Putin TV propagandists made threats to the UK following the poll Credit: East2West 7 Leading Putin TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov [R] pictured with Vladimir Putin Credit: East2West 7 Firefighters work on a fire after a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, June 12 Credit: Getty He mocked Starmer who "has never served in the army". The talking head jibed: "He had no basic military training at school." Sir Keir Starmer's new Strategic Defence Review pledged to launch 12 nuclear subs and commit billions more in nuclear warhead investment among other promises, as a response Putin's growing threat in Europe. The Prime Minister put the UK on a war footing earlier this month as he ordered the biggest investment in the production of guns and bombs since the Cold War. Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Sir Keir said Britain was facing a 'more dangerous world' and the time has come to 'transform how we defend these islands'. The declaration of the UK as Russia's main enemy also came as Putin's state media announced that the US would be competing in its rip-off Eurovision song contest. Bitter tyrant Putin announced the revival of the Soviet answer to Eurovision in February this year.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Spanish judge calls on top Sanchez ally to testify over alleged public works kickbacks
MADRID, June 12 (Reuters) - A Spanish Supreme Court judge on Thursday invited a senior official in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist Party to testify, saying there was evidence he was involved in kickbacks from construction companies in exchange for public contracts. In a report provided to Judge Leopoldo Puente, police said they had a recording of Santos Cerdan, a lawmaker and the Socialist Party's organisational secretary, discussing kickbacks with former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos, according to the left-leaning radio station Cadena Ser. The judge, who unsealed the case on Thursday, called for Cerdan to testify on June 25 after finding "there is strong evidence of the possible involvement" of Cerdan in the "improper awarding of the aforementioned public works in exchange for a price," according to a court statement. Such acts constitute crimes of criminal organisation and bribery, the statement said. Sanchez's fragile coalition has been hit by a series of allegations over the past year that have threatened to destabilise the government, including a high-profile probe into whether his wife Begona Gomez used her status to influence her business dealings. Cerdan on Thursday said he had no recollection of the conversation. "I have not been involved in any such conversation and this afternoon or tomorrow, when we know the contents of the report, I will call a press conference to which you are all invited," he said in comments to the press in parliament. The Socialist Party on Wednesday said Cerdan was innocent and would provide explanations once the police report was made public. "Santos Cerdan neither participated in nor influenced the awarding of public works contracts. He has never received a commission for doing so," it said in a statement issued late on Wednesday.
Reuters
31 minutes ago
- Reuters
Britain says it understands U.S. need to review AUKUS submarine pact
LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it understood a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to launch a formal review into the AUKUS submarine pact, repeating London's position that the project was crucial to peace and security. In 2023, the United States, Australia and Britain unveiled details of the plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. On Wednesday, a Pentagon official said the administration was reviewing AUKUS to ensure it was "aligned with the President's America First agenda". Asked about the review, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "As we've already said it is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership." "AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies and it's one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic," he told reporters.
