The Rostov court sentenced fighters of the "Azov" regiment* to long terms.

The court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Ukrainian citizens Alexander Uren and Andrey Popiy to terms in a penal colony, considering their participation in combat against Russian military as terrorist activity.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on May 18, 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of 694 Ukrainian soldiers at the "Azovstal" plant in Mariupol. Some of the captured fighters from the "Azov" regiment* and marines of the Ukrainian armed forces were taken to Taganrog, while others were sent to a detention center in Rostov.

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found the servicemen of the "Azov" regiment* Alexander Uren and Andrey Popiy guilty of participating in a terrorist community (part 2 of article 205.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and undergoing training for terrorist activities (article 205.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the Investigative Committee reported on its Telegram channel.

The investigation was conducted by the Main Investigative Department of the agency. "The investigation and the court established that Ukrainian citizens Uren since August 2020 and Popiy since May 2022 voluntarily joined a separate special forces unit "Azov", which is banned on the territory of the Russian Federation. These individuals underwent training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities and participated in combat against the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic," the publication states.

The combatants were detained in May 2022 by "Russian servicemen in Mariupol".

"During the investigation, the guilt of Uren and Popiy was confirmed by a combination of evidence, including witness testimonies, as well as their confessions. The court sentenced Uren to 21 years of imprisonment, and Popiy to 19 years of imprisonment. The convicted will serve their sentences in a strict regime penal colony," the Investigative Committee stated.

Recall that since February 2025, the Southern District Military Court has been considering the case of four residents of Dagestan: Magomed Djavathanov, Ruslan Akkaev, Khadzhimurad Abdulaev, and Razhab Nazarov. They were detained in December 2022 and accused of terrorism. The investigation claims that they planned to set fire to a military unit in Makhachkala in the interests of the Ukrainian "Azov" regiment*. The accused call the case fabricated.

In February 2026, the Southern District Military Court received the case of two natives of Dagestan accused of organizing the collection of money to purchase drones with thermal imagers for "Azov"*.

* recognized as a terrorist organization, the activities of which are banned in Russia by the court.

** the activities of the Meta company (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.