Russia sentences 3 Azovstal prisoners to 19 years in prison

Тhe Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced three Ukrainians who were captured by the Russians during the siege of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. The press service of the Russian military court reported this.

According to the publication, 54-year-old Sergey Bliznyuk was sentenced to 18 years in prison, 36-year-old Gennady Bybochkin received 19 years in a strict regime colony, and Volodymyr Reva was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison.

All three were charged because of their service in the Azov brigade.

Bliznyuk and Bybochkin were accused of participating in a terrorist community and training for terrorism, while Reva was only accused of participating in such activities.

Blyznyuk served in the National Guard of Ukraine since 2014, and later joined the Azov unit. During the fighting in Mariupol, he was seriously injured and was in the Azovstal bunkers, after which he was captured on May 18, 2022.

Bybochkin was also captured during the same period.

Volodymyr Reva served in the unit for about three months and served as a driver in the support division.

As the publication notes, the sentence of 5.5 years was one of the shortest among similar cases involving Azov fighters.