Ukrainian court sentences Russian Duma chief to 15 years
The chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years' imprisonment by a Ukrainian court for violating Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the Russian State Duma, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years' imprisonment by a Ukrainian court, reports PAP. According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Volodin was found guilty of violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the inviolability of its borders.
Volodin, as a trusted associate of Vladimir Putin, played a key role in the preparations for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 15 February 2022, he initiated a vote in the State Duma on a resolution urging Putin to recognise the independence of the occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SBU emphasises that Volodin publicly supported this decision and provided the necessary backing of the deputies.
Volodin was also responsible for ratifying the so-called "treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance" between the Kremlin and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which Ukraine recognises as terrorist organisations. These legislative actions were exploited by the Kremlin to initiate a full-scale war against Ukraine.
The SBU notes that Volodin continues to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories and supports Russian aggression. He frequently expresses his views during State Duma sessions and in Kremlin-controlled media. Since Volodin is currently in Russia, the prison sentence will commence once he is actually detained.
