In a historic verdict that Ukraine has called a “defining moment for wartime justice,” a Russian soldier has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the execution of a surrendered Ukrainian serviceman - marking the first conviction of its kind since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The Kyiv District Court found Dmitry Kurashov, 29, guilty of violating the laws and customs of war for shooting dead an unarmed Ukrainian soldier who had laid down his weapon near Kharkiv in March 2023.

Kurashov, who was captured by Ukrainian forces during a later battle, showed little emotion as the verdict was read. Prosecutors described the trial as a “turning point in establishing accountability for battlefield executions.”

The Crime and the Evidence

According to court documents, Kurashov was part of a Russian infantry unit stationed near the village of Velyka Komyshuvakha during intense fighting in the spring of 2023.

Drone footage presented at trial — corroborated by witness statements — showed a Ukrainian soldier raising his hands in surrender before being shot at point-blank range by Kurashov. The act, prosecutors said, was “cold-blooded and deliberate.”

Forensic analysis and intercepted communications confirmed Kurashov’s presence at the scene. In his testimony, he claimed he was following orders from a superior officer and feared being shot for disobedience.

The judges rejected that defense, citing Article 438 of Ukraine’s criminal code, which prohibits the killing of prisoners of war under international humanitarian law.

Ukraine’s Message to the World

Ukrainian Attorney General Andriy Kostin called the decision “a precedent that no war criminal should ignore.”

“This ruling shows that justice can be delivered even during war,” Kostin said. “Each unlawful killing, each atrocity, will be documented, prosecuted, and punished.”

The Ukrainian judiciary has been working with international partners, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), to expand its capacity to prosecute war crimes committed since Russia’s invasion. More than 120,000 alleged war crimes are currently under investigation, many involving civilian deaths in occupied territories.

Moscow’s Response

The Kremlin dismissed the trial as “politically motivated.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of staging “propaganda tribunals” and warned of consequences for “mistreating Russian prisoners.”

Moscow has refused to recognize the legitimacy of Ukrainian courts over captured Russian soldiers, despite international law granting Ukraine jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory.

International Reactions

Human rights groups have hailed the ruling as a critical breakthrough in global accountability efforts. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it observed the trial and found the proceedings “consistent with international fair trial standards.”

Legal analysts noted that the verdict could pave the way for hybrid tribunals that combine Ukrainian and international jurisdiction to prosecute large-scale war crimes, similar to the post-conflict models used in the Balkans.

“This is the first brick in a wall of justice,” said Oleksandra Matviychuk, head of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties. “The world has seen the executions - now it must see the accountability.”

The Broader Context

The conviction comes amid mounting evidence of Russian abuses documented across eastern Ukraine, including executions, torture, and enforced disappearances.

Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court issued additional arrest warrants for senior Russian officers accused of ordering attacks on civilians, following the 2023 warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova.

For Ukraine, Kurashov’s sentencing represents not only justice for one soldier but a statement of moral sovereignty - that even in war, law endures.