ZAPORIZHZHIA, UKRAINE—A Ukrainian court on Thursday sentenced a captured Russian soldier, Dmitry Kurashov, to life imprisonment for the brutal execution of a surrendered Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW).
The verdict is a landmark moment in Ukraine’s quest for accountability, marking the first life sentence issued by Kyiv specifically for the killing of an unarmed, captured serviceman in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The ruling sends an unmissable signal to Russian forces about the legal consequences of battlefield atrocities.
The Crime and the Conviction
The trial focused on a shocking incident that occurred near the village of Pryiutne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region in January 2024.
- The Execution: Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Kurashov, a 27-year-old rifleman serving in the Russian military’s “Storm-V” assault unit, encountered Ukrainian soldier Vitalii Hodniuk who had run out of ammunition and dropped his weapon, raising his hands in a clear gesture of surrender.
- Point-Blank Range: Ignoring the protection afforded to POWs by international law, Kurashov ordered the Ukrainian soldier to kneel and then opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle at point-blank range, killing him instantly.
- The Capture: Kurashov was himself captured by Ukrainian forces shortly after the incident, along with the only other survivors of his assault unit, allowing Ukrainian investigators to gather direct evidence and proceed with the unprecedented trial.
The court found Kurashov guilty under Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code—violations of the laws and customs of war, which includes the execution of prisoners.
A Precedent for Accountability
While Ukraine has previously held trials and issued sentences against Russian soldiers for crimes against civilians—most notably the case of Vadim Shishimarin, who was convicted in 2022 for killing an unarmed civilian—this particular life sentence holds immense symbolic and legal weight.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) emphasized the importance of the verdict: “This is the first verdict in Ukraine’s history where an occupier has received such a sentence specifically for the execution of a Defence Forces soldier.”
Ukrainian officials have documented widespread instances of Russian forces executing surrendered soldiers, stating that criminal investigations are currently underway into the murder of over 320 Ukrainian servicemen who unconditionally laid down their arms or surrendered since the 2022 invasion.
The trial proceedings were closely monitored by international human rights observers, who view Ukraine’s commitment to prosecuting these cases in domestic courts as a vital component of ensuring justice when the complexities of the International Criminal Court (ICC) can take years to resolve.
The ruling is a clear and direct response to the repeated, documented breaches of the Geneva Conventions and reinforces Kyiv’s determination to hold every individual—from rank-and-file soldiers to senior commanders—responsible for alleged war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil.