The execution of a wounded soldier in the ambush was so brutal and merciless that the act is equated to murder.
The Helsinki District Court is hearing the case of Russian Voislav Torden, who was sentenced by a district court to life imprisonment for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
In March of last year, the court of first instance found Torden guilty of four war crimes.
The charges are related to an ambush carried out in September 2014 in the Luhansk region, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers.
According to the court, at the time of the crime, Torden was part of the combat group 'Rusich'.
The court held Torden responsible for the death of one Ukrainian serviceman, regardless of whether he himself killed him or another member of 'Rusich'. In the opinion of the Finnish court, the execution of a wounded soldier in the ambush was so brutal and merciless that the act is equated to murder.
Additionally, according to the district court's verdict, Torden disseminated humiliating photographs of the deceased soldier taken at the scene of the attack and stated that 'Rusich' shows no mercy and takes no prisoners.
Torden, previously known as Yan Petrovsky, denies all charges. Torden claimed that at the checkpoint he regained consciousness from a strong explosion and saw a 'sea of fire'.
– I did not participate in the fight. I did not fire a single shot, – he stated in court.
Earlier, Torden began to speak about his health condition and attempted, apparently, to complain about what he considered poor conditions of detention in prison. However, the chair interrupted Torden, stating that his remarks were not relevant to the criminal case proceedings.
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