A Latvian man was sentenced to imprisonment on Tuesday 29 April for fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Source: Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Latvian national received a sentence of six years in prison and two years of probation for taking part in combat on Russia's side against Ukraine. The ruling was issued by Riga City Court, which approved a plea deal between the defendant and the prosecutor.

Prosecutors have found that the man joined the Russian army in 2023 and was stationed in Chelyabinsk, located in Russia's Urals region, where he served in an artillery unit of the 80th Tank Regiment.

He was later deployed to the front line in Donetsk Oblast, where he participated in constructing defensive fortifications and securing territory. He also received tactical and firearms training.

He was detained on 7 October 2023 in a border village while attempting to cross illegally from Russia into Latvia. He fully admitted guilt in court.

His actions were deemed a violation of Latvia's national security law, which prohibits serving in the armed forces of foreign states without official permission.

Background:In early January, reports emerged that Serbian mercenary Bratislav Živković, who had been declared persona non grata in Romania in 2017 for spying for Russia, had been killed during fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

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