A Finnish court sentenced Russian national Yan Petrovsky to life imprisonment for war crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The ruling found his paramilitary unit responsible for the killing of an injured soldier and other offences. Petrovsky denied the charges and intends to appeal.
A Finnish court sentenced a Russian man to life imprisonment on Friday for war crimes committed in 2014 in eastern Ukraine, where his paramilitary unit was found to have been involved in the killing of an injured soldier.
The trial of Yan Petrovsky, also known as Voislav Torden, was a rare instance of foreign prosecutors addressing war crimes linked to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow supported before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Born in 1987, Petrovsky was convicted on four out of five charges related to his activities in Ukraine's Luhansk province, part of the Donbass industrial region.
The court identified him as a member of Rusich, a paramilitary unit linked to the Russian Wagner group. He has been under European Union and U.S. sanctions since 2022.
He was found guilty on four counts, including the actions of his unit that led to the death of a wounded Ukrainian soldier, the mutilation of another, and the taking and publishing of degrading images of deceased soldiers.
"A fixed-term prison sentence was not an adequate punishment," the court stated in its verdict.
Petrovsky was detained in Finland at Ukraine’s request in 2023 while attempting to travel to France using a false identity. Finland’s supreme court later blocked his extradition to Ukraine.
One charge was dismissed, with the court ruling that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Petrovsky’s Rusich unit had organised and carried out an ambush while posing as Ukrainian forces, which resulted in the deaths of 22 Ukrainian soldiers. However, it determined that Rusich fighters had been present.
Petrovsky denied all charges and intends to appeal, his lawyer confirmed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Kyiv has signed new agreements with international partners to boost joint arms productio...
The UK has re-established diplomatic relations with Syria, marking a major shift in its foreign policy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regim...
Poland’s iconic Vistula River has dropped to historic lows, as severe drought and scorching heat grip the country....
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s recent large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, calling them the biggest since the...
Microsoft is closing its direct operations in Pakistan after 25 years, shifting to a partner-led model to serve the market....
Finland has endorsed the European Union’s proposed 90% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, calling it a step toward climate neutrality and in line with its national goals, a key milestone on the EU’s path to climate neutrality by 2050.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has announced Finland's ambition to host a European AI gigafactory. The move aims to boost national growth by building on the success of the LUMI supercomputer, with telecommunications giant Nokia poised to lead the project's business consortium.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the strong Kazakh-Finnish partnership and expressed willingness to deepen ties, while the OSCE Chairperson praised Kazakhstan's growing regional influence and cooperation.
Türkiye and Finland have signed a Defence Industry Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening collaboration between the two NATO allies through joint production, technology exchange, and the development of defence capabilities.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
Following a deadly glacier collapse in Blatten, near the Swiss Alpine village of Kandersteg, the town is on high alert as melting permafrost and shifting rock threaten another potential disaster after it was buried a month ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Kyiv has signed new agreements with international partners to boost joint arms production amid ongoing Russian attacks.
The UK has re-established diplomatic relations with Syria, marking a major shift in its foreign policy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime eight months ago.
Poland’s iconic Vistula River has dropped to historic lows, as severe drought and scorching heat grip the country.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s recent large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, calling them the biggest since the war began over three years ago.
Russian air defences intercepted four Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow on Saturday, prompting brief flight suspensions at major airports in the capital and other cities.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment