The convicted person prepared Ukrainian teenagers for service in the ranks of the russian occupation army
The head of the Varyag military-patriotic club in temporarily occupied Sevastopol has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a war crime. The court found a Ukrainian citizen guilty of involving local children in military training and promoting service in the armed forces of russia. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from Procuracy of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, based on data from SBU Main Office in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Special pre-trial investigation in this criminal proceeding was carried out by the Main Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Law enforcement officers gathered evidence of the individual’s involvement in illegal activities aimed at violating the laws and customs of war.
Activities of the Varyag Club
According to the investigation, the convicted person headed the Varyag military-patriotic club in captured Sevastopol starting in 2017. Subsequently, he also assumed leadership of the regional public organization Union of Crimean Border Guards.
As part of the training curriculum, club participants underwent special naval, shallow-water diving, and rescue training. The organizers utilized labor, athletic, and pre-professional upbringing methods to attract young people.
Recruitment into the Occupation Army
The organization’s leader publicly covered the structure’s work in mass media and encouraged minors to enroll in specialized military educational institutions. In one interview, he confirmed that club graduates subsequently joined the ranks of russian troops.
Such actions violate the norms of international humanitarian law, specifically the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. The court sentenced the defendant to the maximum penalty provided for by part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Illustrative photo: Roman Naumov / CC BY-SA 4.0
Read also: RF prepared for Crimea’s annexation via infrastructure projects since the 1990s
