Previously swapped "DPR" militant captured and prosecuted again in Kyiv

A Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militant, once already swapped during a prisoners of war swap, was captured again.

Source: Sudovyi Reporter (Court Reporter) media outlet with reference to the court verdict from 10 February

Details: At the closed proceeding, the Svyatoshyn District Court of Kyiv found Ruslan Vialshyn from Donetsk Oblast guilty of treason under martial law and participation in illegal military formations.

According to the case materials, on 27 July 2022, Vialshyn voluntarily arrived in the "DPR military commissariat" and wrote a statement that he is willing to be mobilised.

Vialshyn was appointed a gunner of the 1st shooting department, 1st platoon, 3rd company of the 1135 battalion of the Sloviansk 1st Motorised Rifle Brigade of DPR. He was given a military uniform of a Russian sample, army boots, a cap, a duffel bag, a mug and a cauldron, as well as a Kalashnikov rifle, 4 magazines and 120 cartridges.

The next day in the morning, Vialshyn was taken to positions in the village of Marinka in the Pokrovsk district in Donetsk Oblast.

He served at this position for two months: he was on duty with weapons, he was watching the movement of the Ukrainian troops etc. At the end of August, the subdivision where Vialshyn served was redeployed to the neighbouring village of Oleksandrivka.

In 2018, Vialshyn was arrested and prosecuted for participation in a terrorist organisation.

On 3 September 2022, 10 DPR militants including Vialshyn followed the command's orders and went to the position in the woods 8km away from the village of Marinka after having been additionally supplied with armament and ammunition. The soldier was captured the next day.

Vialshyn joined the DPR military formations back in 2015, signing the contract about serving in "people’s militia". He was appointed a mechanic-driver, but due to the conflict with the commander of the company he quit at the beginning of 2016. Vialshyn returned to service to another unit of the "people's militia of the DPR" at the end of 2017 and was appointed to the same post. On 20 April 2018, he was captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Kostiantynivka District Court of Donetsk Oblast sentenced Vialshyn to eight years of prison with seizure of property in August 2018. On 27 December 2019, he was pardoned by the President of Ukraine in order to swap him for the citizens who were in Russian captivity and in captivity of the so-called Luhansk/Donetsk People's Republics.

This time, the Sviatoshyn District Court of Kyiv sentenced Vialshyn to 15 years of prison with seizure of property. There is no information whether he was swapped again so far. 

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