Ukraine sentences 15 Russian soldiers for war crimes in Jagodnoye
As reported by the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, the district court in the Chernihiv region handed down 12-year prison sentences in absentia to 15 Russian soldiers for breaching the laws and customs of war.
During the occupation of Jagodnoye from March 3 to March 31, 2022, according to investigation findings, Russian forces forcibly confined local residents in the school's basement.
As reported by the Meduza website, 368 people, including 69 children, were crammed into a room measuring about 197 square metres. The ages of those imprisoned ranged from one and a half months to 93 years.
The prosecution argued that the Russian forces used the local residents as "human shields" at their command position. Ten civilians perished in the "basement of death" due to the deplorable conditions and lack of medical care.
Earlier, one of the villagers shared with the "BBC" that it wasn't possible to immediately remove the deceased from the basement, causing bodies to remain there for hours or sometimes days.
Commander of the troops identified
The case against the Russian army was brought to light in July 2022. As the "Hromadske" portal revealed, the soldiers were under the command of a man known by the call sign "Klon" (real name: Semen Solovov).
The investigation led to the belief that he was the one who ordered the civilian population to be detained in the school's basement. By the end of February 2024, he was informed in absentia of the charges against him regarding the cruel treatment of civilians and violation of the laws of war. His case is set to be tried separately.
