Russian officers sentenced for heinous murder of soldiers
Two Russian officers—Colonel Yevgeniy Malyszko and Senior Sergeant Roman Timonin—were sentenced by a court in Rostov-on-Don to 20 and 18 years in prison for the brutal murder of seven soldiers under their command and for desecrating their corpses.
What do you need to know?
- Where and when was the verdict announced? The verdict was announced in Rostov-on-Don, regarding events from 2023.
- Who was sentenced? Colonel Yevgeniy Malyszko and Senior Sergeant Roman Timonin were found guilty of brutal crimes.
- Why were they sentenced? They were accused of torturing, killing, and desecrating the bodies of seven soldiers.
Russians guilty of multiple murders
The court found that Malyszko and Timonin were guilty of multiple murders committed in an especially cruel manner, intended to cover up another crime. Both were also found guilty of using torture and profaning the bodies of the victims.
Malyszko received the maximum sentence—20 years in a high-security penal colony. In addition, he was stripped of his military rank and all decorations. Timonin was sentenced to 18 years in prison and also lost the honours previously awarded to him.
Although the Russian court did not disclose details of the case, this information was published by the Ukrainian portal Suspilne. According to journalists' findings, both convicts served in the 6th Motorized Infantry Division, formed after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and composed mainly of reservists.
Complaints about terrible service conditions
Ukrainian reporters accessed documents from the Russian Investigative Committee, which indicated that the proceedings concerned the murder of at least seven soldiers. According to their findings, the victims had previously published a video in which they complained about terrible service conditions and accused their superiors of using them as "cannon fodder".
The division commander, Marat Ospanov, was said to have ordered severe penalties for soldiers breaking discipline or refusing to follow orders. These individuals were taken to basements in the occupied Popasna (Luhansk region), where they underwent brutal interrogations.
According to investigators' findings, Ospanov ordered Malyszko to transport the seven soldiers to the front line and eliminate them. To execute the task, Malyszko involved several military personnel, including Timonin.
The detainees were transported to the town of Bakhmutske in the Donetsk region, where they were confined in the basement of an abandoned building. Grenades were then thrown inside. Those who survived the explosion were shot, and their bodies were burned.
source: PAP/Mediazona/Suspilne
