Landmark Life Sentence for Russian Soldier in POW Killing
A Ukrainian court has delivered a landmark verdict, sentencing a Russian soldier to life imprisonment for the murder of a Ukrainian prisoner of war. This is the first time Ukraine has jailed an individual on such charges since the full-scale invasion began. The ruling marks a significant moment in the pursuit of accountability for alleged war crimes.
The Details of the Case
The court in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia found Dmitry Kurashov, 27, guilty of shooting dead Vitalii Hodniuk, a Ukrainian soldier. The incident occurred in January 2024 in the Zaporizhzhia region after Hodniuk's dugout was captured by Russian forces and he had surrendered. Kurashov was subsequently taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces soon after the killing. He initially pleaded guilty in court but later told reporters he was innocent and expressed a desire to be part of a prisoner swap. Following the ruling, he stated he did not plan to appeal the life sentence.
This case is part of a wider effort by Ukrainian authorities. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office has revealed that criminal investigations are currently under way into the murders of 322 Ukrainian servicemen who had laid down their arms and/or surrendered since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Other Key Developments in the War
In other war-related news, Ukraine's general staff reported that Ukrainian drones struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Volgograd region for the second time in almost three months. Russian officials did not directly confirm the attack, though the local governor mentioned a fire at an unspecified industrial facility. According to Ukrainian officials, this refinery is the largest producer of fuel and lubricants in Russia’s southern federal district, processing more than 15 million tons of crude annually.
In a separate development, Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency claimed that saboteurs inside Russia, specifically the Freedom of Russia group, burned dozens of locomotives using molotov cocktails. The alleged attack targeted the control and power supply systems of locomotives used to transport military cargo, in a bid to hamper Russian armed forces logistics. This claim has not been independently verified, and Russian officials had no immediate comment.
On the diplomatic and support front, Sweden and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent to establish a hub in Ukraine for developing new weapons technologies. The Swedish defence minister, Pal Jonson, stated that the plans would involve Swedish personnel working on site in Ukraine. This follows a previous October agreement on aviation cooperation, which the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said could lead to Ukraine purchasing up to 150 Gripen E fighter jets.
Addressing the ongoing Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that foreign countries are assisting Kyiv in efforts to keep the power grid operational. He highlighted that repair brigades are working daily to restore power, particularly in communities near the Russian border and the front lines.
In a significant business development, Swiss commodity trader Gunvor withdrew its proposal to buy foreign assets of Russian energy company Lukoil. This move came after the US Treasury labelled the trader a Russian "puppet" and signalled its opposition to the deal, scuttling what would have been Gunvor's largest acquisition.
Meanwhile, a Moscow-backed court in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region has jailed two Colombians for 13 years each for fighting for Kyiv. The pair, who fought for Ukraine in 2023 and 2024, vanished in July during a stopover in Venezuela, a Russian ally, while returning home. They were reportedly arrested in Caracas and later appeared in a video published by Russia’s FSB security service, handcuffed and wearing prison clothing.
