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Court upholds life sentence for Russian soldier "Altai" over execution of Ukrainian POWs

Court upholds life sentence for Russian soldier "Altai" over execution of Ukrainian POWs
Court upholds life sentence for Russian soldier "Altai" over execution of Ukrainian POWs

Appellate court upholds life sentence

The appellate court upheld the verdict imposing life imprisonment on Russian soldier Serhiy Tuzhilov, known by the callsign "Altai". He was found guilty of murdering three Ukrainian prisoners of war. The defence sought a reduction in the sentence, but the court rejected the appeal, supporting the prosecutors' position.

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported this. The crimes were committed in the summer of 2024 on the premises of the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant, which was under the control of Russian occupation forces at the time.

Circumstances of the crimes

Serhiy Tuzhilov commanded a grenade squad in a motor rifle company of the Russian Federation's armed forces. According to established facts, in June 2024, one Ukrainian serviceman ended up on enemy positions and surrendered. After interrogation, the Russian command ordered his execution.

Tuzhilov designated the location for the execution and controlled the perimeter, ensuring conditions for the murder of the captive Ukrainian defender.

In early July, Russian forces captured two more Ukrainian fighters and brought them to the plant's territory. After interrogation, the command again ordered the prisoners to be killed.

In this case, Tuzhilov directly participated in the execution. He coordinated his actions in advance with another Russian soldier, after which each of them fired one shot into the back of the head of the prisoners.

Initial verdict and appeal

On 24 September 2024, during the liberation of the enterprise's territory, Ukrainian special forces captured Tuzhilov. Subsequently, prosecutors documented the circumstances of the crimes and gathered evidence for the trial.

On 13 January 2026, the Kholodnohirskyi District Court of Kharkiv found him guilty of cruel treatment of prisoners of war, combined with premeditated murders committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.

The defence appealed the verdict regarding the imposed sentence. The appellate court found no grounds for mitigation, leaving the life imprisonment unchanged. During the trial, Tuzhilov cited the execution of orders from the command, but this did not serve as a basis for his exemption from liability.

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