The Desnyansky District Court of Chernigov sentenced Russian oil tanker Mikhail Kulikov to 10 years in prison in the case of bombing a multi-story building on the outskirts of the city. The verdict was handed down on Monday, August 8, by Judge Mykola Kuzyura.

Kulikov was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He was also ordered to cover court costs amounting to 26,600 hryvnia (706 euros).

“I apologize to the people of Ukraine for invading here, it was wrong on our part. And for my chance, I’m sorry I did that,” Mikhail Kulikov said during one of the meetings. He admitted his guilt.

The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the Russian to 10.5 years in prison.

“I was scared for myself, for the crew”

Kulikov is a tank gunner in the 35th Motor Rifle Brigade of Separate Guards of the RF Armed Forces Ground Forces. According to the prosecution, on February 26, Kulikov, on the orders of his commander, Major Leonid Shchetkin, fired from a T-72B tank at a multi-story building on Rapoport Street in northern Chernigov. According to Kulikov, Shchetkin told him that there was a portable anti-tank grenade launcher in the house. “I was scared for myself, for the crew. And so, I shot,” the tanker explained. To the prosecutor’s clarifying question, he replied that there had been no bombings and had not seen any military installations either. As a result of the shooting, the building was partially destroyed, and there were no casualties. Kulikov was captured by the Ukrainian military on the same day.

The second Russian soldier sentenced in Ukraine

Mikhail Kulikov is another Russian soldier who was sentenced in Ukraine after the start of the war.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that Russian forces carry out attacks only on military installations and infrastructure.

On May 31, the Kotelevsky District Court for the Poltava region sentenced Russian servicemen Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov to 11.5 years in prison on charges of violating the laws and customs of war. In addition, Russian military officer Vadim Shishimarin, found guilty in Ukraine of killing a civilian in the Sumy region, was sentenced to life imprisonment; in late July, the Kyiv Court of Appeal commuted the sentence to 15 years.