According to Russian news agency reports, a military court in Russia’s southern district of Rostov-on-Don issued a 16-year prison sentence to Denis Mouryga, a Russian-Ukrainian citizen who fought in the Kyiv forces and was on trial on “terrorism” charges. The judge in charge of the case found Mouryga “guilty” and sentenced him to “16 years of severe regime imprisonment.”
Mouryga, who was a member of the Ukrainian Aidar battalion, was accused of participating in the activities of a military formation considered illegitimate by Moscow and receiving training to carry out terrorist acts. He was arrested in the Rostov region in the spring of 2022 while attempting to cross the Russian border.
According to investigators, Denis Mouryga, who has both Russian and Ukrainian citizenship, joined the Aidar battalion in 2015 and received training in combat and weapons handling. The Aidar battalion was established in 2014 in the Lugansk region of eastern Ukraine during clashes between Kyiv forces and Moscow-backed pro-Russian separatists. Subsequently, the group was integrated into the regular Ukrainian forces.
Following the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, the Aidar battalion was involved in fighting in the eastern Ukrainian town of Bajmut, which was devastated by the fighting. Now, with the sentence issued by the Russian military court, Mouryga will face 16 years of severe regime imprisonment.