Ukrainian law enforcement continues its systematic efforts to bring to justice Russian officials involved in war crimes. Investigators from the National Police of Ukraine have officially served a notice of suspicion in absentia to a judge of the 2nd Western District Military Court of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Ivanov. The official faces serious charges for handing down an illegal sentence to a Ukrainian prisoner of war, flagrantly violating international law.
According to the pre-trial investigation, the Ukrainian serviceman was captured by Russian forces while performing combat missions in the Kursk region. Under the Geneva Conventions, he was legally entitled to the status of a lawful combatant and a prisoner of war. This grants absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for mere participation in hostilities.
However, deliberately ignoring international humanitarian law, the Russian judge orchestrated a politically motivated and fabricated trial. The Ukrainian defender was falsely accused of terrorism, illegally crossing the state border, illicit arms trafficking, and participating in illegal armed formations. The court subsequently sentenced the prisoner of war to 14 years in a maximum-security penal colony.
The National Police emphasized that by directly violating Articles 4, 5, and 99 of the Geneva Convention, the judge intentionally deprived the Ukrainian POW of his right to a fair and impartial trial. The judge’s actions are officially classified as a violation of the laws and customs of war under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, punishable by up to 12 years in prison.
This blatant abuse of the judicial system is part of a broader campaign by Russia to terrorize captured personnel. Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) documented similar atrocities, bringing charges against Konstantin Prostov and Sergei Obraztsov, judges of Russia’s Southern District Military Court. They illegally sentenced captured members of the ‘Azov’ Special Operations Brigade, who heroically defended Mariupol, to 18 years in prison based on entirely fabricated evidence.
Ukrainian authorities, in close cooperation with international partners, are meticulously collecting evidence of these judicial crimes. The ultimate objective is to ensure that every individual involved in the illegal prosecution of Ukrainian POWs faces inevitable accountability before international tribunals. The systemic violation of POW rights highlights the urgent need for global institutions to intervene and secure the immediate release of all captives held by the aggressor state.