Russia convicts Azov Regiment fighters of terrorism in trial Ukraine deems a war crime

The latest news on Russia and Ukraine. A Russian military court has sentenced on Wednesday twelve former members of Ukraine's Azov regiment to prison terms ranging from 13 to 23 years.

The fighters, captured during Russia's siege of Mariupol in 2022, were convicted of terrorist activity and violently seizing or retaining power. The regiment, now banned in Russia, was a prominent force in Ukraine's resistance.

Moscow has often painted them as radical extremists, a characterisation rejected by Ukraine, which views them as symbols of national resistance. Some of the accused have denied wrongdoing, claiming their testimony was coerced.