Voislav Torden, a former commander of the Rusich paramilitary group, was sentenced to life for his role in the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers during a 2014 ambush.
Russian War Criminal Sentenced to Life in Finland for Ukraine Atrocities
Russian War Criminal Sentenced to Life in Finland for Ukraine Atrocities
A Finnish court found Voislav Torden guilty of war crimes committed in Ukraine, marking a historic verdict.
In a landmark ruling, a Finnish court has sentenced Voislav Torden, a 38-year-old Russian national and ex-commander of the extremist Rusich paramilitary group, to life in prison for war crimes committed in Ukraine back in 2014. On Friday, the Helsinki court convicted Torden on four counts related to the ambush of Ukrainian soldiers in the Luhansk region, which resulted in the deaths of 22 service members and injuries to four others. Despite being acquitted on one charge, Torden has denied all allegations against him.
This trial marks the first instance of war crime charges being prosecuted in a Finnish court related to the conflict in Ukraine, as Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, played a key role in the pro-Russian separatist operations in the eastern Donbas region. He is tied to Rusich, a subgroup of the infamous Wagner group, notorious for its brutal tactics.
The court heard that on September 5, 2014, Torden led an ambush against Ukrainian troops, disguising his fighters as Ukrainian soldiers and subsequently setting fire to military vehicles. Although evidence was deemed insufficient to link Rusich directly to the ambush due to the involvement of multiple groups, Torden was held accountable for leading his men during the attack that resulted in the death of at least one Ukrainian soldier, as well as for the mutilation of another wounded soldier.
The panel of three judges unanimously found Torden guilty on four counts, including the most severe of killing a soldier, which they described as "comparable to murder due to its brutality and cruelty." He has been ordered to pay compensation to the family of the soldier killed under his command.
Torden has consistently maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the conviction. His arrest took place at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in July 2023 following a request for extradition from the Ukrainian government, which was ultimately denied by Finland's Supreme Court over concerns regarding a fair trial in Ukraine. Nonetheless, he was tried in Finland due to the nature of the international crimes he is accused of committing. Prior cases in Finland have involved war crimes linked to conflicts in Rwanda and Iraq, highlighting the country's stance on addressing international law violations.
This trial marks the first instance of war crime charges being prosecuted in a Finnish court related to the conflict in Ukraine, as Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, played a key role in the pro-Russian separatist operations in the eastern Donbas region. He is tied to Rusich, a subgroup of the infamous Wagner group, notorious for its brutal tactics.
The court heard that on September 5, 2014, Torden led an ambush against Ukrainian troops, disguising his fighters as Ukrainian soldiers and subsequently setting fire to military vehicles. Although evidence was deemed insufficient to link Rusich directly to the ambush due to the involvement of multiple groups, Torden was held accountable for leading his men during the attack that resulted in the death of at least one Ukrainian soldier, as well as for the mutilation of another wounded soldier.
The panel of three judges unanimously found Torden guilty on four counts, including the most severe of killing a soldier, which they described as "comparable to murder due to its brutality and cruelty." He has been ordered to pay compensation to the family of the soldier killed under his command.
Torden has consistently maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the conviction. His arrest took place at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in July 2023 following a request for extradition from the Ukrainian government, which was ultimately denied by Finland's Supreme Court over concerns regarding a fair trial in Ukraine. Nonetheless, he was tried in Finland due to the nature of the international crimes he is accused of committing. Prior cases in Finland have involved war crimes linked to conflicts in Rwanda and Iraq, highlighting the country's stance on addressing international law violations.
