For the first time, Ukraine extradited a Russian military officer to a foreign country for trial for war crimes

A historic decision

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that for the first time since 2022 The Ukrainian side handed over Russian military personnel to a foreign state - Lithuania to prosecute war crimes.

«Beatings, torture with electric current, strangulation, keeping people in metal safes and other horrors - he did all this together with other soldiers of his unit,» the Prosecutor General's Office said.

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Details of the case

According to the investigation, a serviceman of the Russian armed forces participated in the torture of civilians on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
One of his victims was Lithuanian citizen, Therefore, Ukrainian law enforcement officers transferred the case to Lithuanian jurisdiction.

«He could be imprisoned for life for his actions,» the prosecutor's office said.

Legal precedent

This step was a historical precedent for international legal cooperation, The agreement demonstrates Ukraine's readiness to act within the framework of international law and engage partners in punishing those responsible for war crimes.

Lithuania has previously opened more than 100 criminal proceedings regarding war crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine, but this case is the first one where the accused is physically transferred to a foreign state.

Context.

Ukraine actively cooperates with International Criminal Court (ICC) and partner countries to collect evidence of crimes committed by Russian troops.
The transfer of the soldier to Lithuania emphasises that The mechanism for bringing the aggressor to justice goes beyond national legal proceedings.