Former Ukrainian military officer Oleksii Popov, who commanded an anti-aircraft division in Perevalne, Crimea, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for desertion and defecting to the occupiers.
This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing the Telegram channel of Crimean Wind.
The native of Luhansk region, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, led a unit of the 36th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade stationed on the peninsula before its seizure by russia.
The court established the fact that the defendant served within the armed formations of the aggressor state
During the occupation, the Ukrainian officer signed a contract with the invaders and joined the personnel of the 126th Coastal Defense Brigade of the russian Black Sea Fleet.
The convict’s actions were qualified under charges of high treason
The panel of judges found him guilty of defecting to the enemy amid armed conflict and handed down a sentence of 15 years of imprisonment.
Illustrative photo: Anton Holoborodko (Антон Голобородько) / CC BY-SA 3.0
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