Partner of Ukraine fighter facing Russian prison sentence demands his release

By Anastasiia Malenko and Yurii Kovalenko

KYIV (Reuters) - Kateryna Bondarenko had small uncertainty that her boyfriend, a combatant with Ukraine's Azov regiment captured by the Russians successful 2022, would person a agelong situation word erstwhile a subject tribunal handed down its sentence.

That did not marque it immoderate easier erstwhile the quality of Oleksii Smykov's punishment came connected Wednesday.

"Everyone knew it was going to happen, but everyone was shocked," Bondarenko, 26, told Reuters aft the sentencing. "You spot the sanction of your loved 1 and it says sentenced to 23 years ... It's precise destabilising."

Smykov was 1 of 12 members of the regiment who appeared shaven-headed successful court. The defendants each received agelong sentences, and Russian autarkic media outlet Mediazona said they intended to appeal.

Bondarenko urged Ukraine's allies to enactment unit connected Russia to instrumentality the fighters, who were defending the Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol aft Russia invaded Ukraine successful February 2022.

Russia designated the Azov regiment arsenic a violent organisation and the defendants were charged with violent enactment and violently seizing oregon retaining power.

Ukraine's quality rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets accused Russia of violating planetary humanitarian instrumentality due to the fact that helium said the men were combatants, not criminals.

When Smykov, 28, became 1 of the archetypal Azov fighters to beryllium captured, Bondarenko did not cognize wherever to crook to find retired what was happening to him.

That changed aft hundreds of fighters defending Mariupol surrendered successful May 2022, arsenic Russia besieged the city.

Three years later, radical chats with relatives of different prisoners marque up astir each of her texts.

On Wednesday, her telephone buzzed with quality from the proceedings successful confederate Russia.

"In the video ... helium is lasting looking astatine the ground, sullen. He does not cognize thing astatine all: that radical are warring for him here, emotion him, hold for him."

Bondarenko said she hoped helium mightiness beryllium included successful a captive swap, specified arsenic those that person taken spot during the 3 twelvemonth war. Eleven different defendants successful the lawsuit connected Wednesday were convicted successful absentia, having already been exchanged successful swaps.

"If we don't request the instrumentality of these prisoners, they won't conscionable look successful the exchange," she said, portion acknowledging that the condemnation present made it much difficult.

She calms herself by reasoning astir their plans: marriage, children, travel.

"This is not the beingness I wanted," she said. "I conscionable deliberation astir however helium feels and I recognize that successful my presumption I person thing to kick about."

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Alison Williams)