The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Ukrainian serviceman from «Azov» Andrey Sopulyak to 19 years in prison on charges of «participating in a terrorist community» and «training for terrorist activities», reported «Mediazona»** in the court's press service.
The 30-year-old native of the Ivano-Frankivsk region signed a contract with the National Guard of Ukraine in 2016 and was assigned to the «Azov» brigade. He served as an operator in the aerial reconnaissance unit and was captured in Mariupol on May 20, 2022.
Until September 2022, Sopulyak was held in a former colony in Yelenovka in the territory of the self-proclaimed DPR, where a camp for prisoners was set up at the start of the war, from where he was transferred to Taganrog's pre-trial detention center No. 2.
Only in March of this year was Sopulyak's arrest on criminal charges formalized, and he was sent to Rostov-on-Don's pre-trial detention center No. 1. It is unclear in what status the Ukrainian prisoner was held before this. His case was already in court by April.
In court, Sopulyak stated that he did not participate in «punitive operations» against the residents of the DPR and LPR and did not intimidate the civilian population, as the investigation claimed. He emphasized that he did not train in «terrorist activities» but underwent a regular army basic training course.
In August 2022, after Sopulyak was captured, the Supreme Court of Russia recognized «Azov» as a «terrorist organization». In the spring, the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin reported that Russian courts had already sentenced 145 «Azov» fighters.
* Recognized as a «terrorist organization» in Russia.
** Recognized as a «foreign agent» in Russia.