Ukrainian who served as a driver in the Azov regiment dies in Russian prison

The cause of death of the prisoner of war has not yet been announced.

Ukrainian prisoner of war Alexander Ishchenko, who served as a driver in the Azov regiment, has died in a pretrial detention center in the city of Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation) . According to Russian media, Ishchenko’s death was reported by his lawyer during a hearing in the Southern District Military Court, where the case of more than 20 prisoners of war is being heard.

“The date and cause of death were not named. The lawyer asked the court to request a death certificate for Ishchenko, and the court granted his request. At the hearing on July 31, the court completed the examination of evidence in the case, but did not proceed to the debate in order to wait for documents from the pretrial detention center about Ishchenko’s death,” Meduza writes .

Alexander Ishchenko was 55 years old. He was born in Mariupol, was a sailor and returned from a voyage a few days before the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. Soon the man joined the Azov regiment and became a driver. He was captured during active military operations in Mariupol.

Ishchenko was involved in a criminal case along with 23 other Ukrainians who were associated with the Azov Regiment at various times.

According to Mediazona , Ishchenko was charged in Russia under two articles: “participation in a terrorist organization” and “attempt to seize power by force.” The absurdity of the charge is that he allegedly “tried to seize power” on Ukrainian territory, which is controlled by DPR militants. The Russian “justice” classified the Ukrainian (among other prisoners) as a terrorist due to the fact that Azov was declared a “terrorist organization” in Russia.

The publication notes that in February 2022, Ishchenko voluntarily joined the territorial defense of the Azov regiment. In the spring of the same year, he was captured by the Russians in Mariupol, and then became a defendant in a criminal case along with 23 other Ukrainians.

“All of them served in Azov at different times under contract or were civilian employees. Some took part in the defense of Mariupol and Azovstal, while others had already left the service at the time of the Russian invasion and were detained at home. Two of them – David Kasatkin and Dmitry Labinsky – have already been exchanged for Russian prisoners of war and are being tried in absentia,” the publication writes.

Nine women are involved in the “case”, most of them cooks who prepared food for the military.

Russian Trial of Mariupol Defenders

As UNIAN reported, in the Russian Federation a “court” sentenced Ukrainian citizen Igor Filin, an Azov fighter, to 26 years in prison for allegedly killing two residents of Mariupol.

Russian propagandists have distributed a video showing a man in military uniform. Opposite him is an unknown person with the inscription “Investigative Committee of Russia” on his clothes.

In the video, the convict allegedly says that he admits his guilt in shooting two civilians on April 4, 2022, in Mariupol. According to him, he saw a certain citizen examining a building, and then climbed into it through a window. Then the “accused” called the police. He adds that he received an order to “shoot” and allegedly killed another person. It is not clear from the video what building is being discussed, under what circumstances this happened (if, indeed, it took place), why the civilians climbed in through the window, etc.

(C)UNIAN 2024