Four Ukrainian Marines Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in DPR

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Four officers from a Ukrainian Marine brigade have been handed life imprisonment in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) for their involvement in the blockade of Mariupol and the organized killing of prisoners of war and civilians, according to Svetlana Petrenko, official spokeswoman for the Russian Investigative Committee, who was speaking to TASS.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office noted that their criminal actions resulted in the deaths of 93 civilians and prisoners of war, and the attempted murder of 81 others.

"The evidence gathered by the Main Investigative Department of Russia’s Investigative Committee was enough for the court to convict Vladimir Baranyuk, commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces; his deputies, Dmitry Karmyankov and Vitaly Yaroshenko; and Nikolay Biryukov, commander of the 501st Marine Battalion," Petrenko stated.

The court found all four guilty of multiple serious crimes, including abuse of prisoners of war and civilians, the use of prohibited means and methods in armed conflict under international law, the murder of two or more persons - including a minor - in a generally dangerous manner by an organized group motivated by political and ideological hatred, as well as the attempted murder of two or more individuals under similar circumstances. They were also convicted of deliberately damaging property in a manner that posed significant danger to the public.

"Each defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony," Petrenko confirmed.

Investigations revealed that in 2022, to maintain the Kiev regime’s control over Mariupol, the defendants organized a ring blockade of the city’s northern sector. Under criminal orders, their subordinates detained civilians as human shields, hindered evacuations, and killed those who opposed the regime’s actions. As a result, 93 people lost their lives, 81 were victims of attempted murder, and 89 residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged or destroyed.

"The defendants were detained by Russian military personnel. During the preliminary investigation, Karmyankov and Biryukov admitted to part of their guilt," Petrenko added.

The Prosecutor General’s Office further established that between February and May 2022, Baranyuk, Biryukov, Karmyankov, and Yaroshenko issued criminal orders to their subordinates to surround designated areas using firearms, artillery, and mines, and to kill prisoners of war and civilians.