Ukrainian Special Forces member sentenced to 20 years by Russian court on terrorism charges
Oleksandr Liubas, a Ukrainian national, has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars by the Southern District Military Court, facing charges that include terrorism and illegal border crossing.
According to investigators, Liubas served in the special forces of the Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR). On October 4, 2023, Liubas allegedly aimed to disembark in the Chernomorsky district of Crimea with a group, intending to plant a Ukrainian flag and record a video. The group, traveling by boat and jet skis, was intercepted by Russian border guards. Court documents state that upon detection, the group attempted evasive maneuvers. Liubas, supposedly riding on the backseat of one of the jet skis, reportedly fell into the water and was subsequently apprehended.
Liubas will spend the first three years in prison, with the remaining 17 years in a high-security penal colony.
In an earlier ruling, the Southern District Military Court sentenced another Ukrainian citizen, Mykola Zabirko, to 5.5 years of imprisonment.