Donetsk, Dec 21 — DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic Supreme Court has given a prison term to a Ukrainian marine who shot and killed 16 civilians in Mariupol last year, Russia’s Investigative Committee reported on Thursday.
“The Court said that the evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee, was sufficient for passing a guilty verdict on 36th Marine Brigade serviceman Denis Rashplya, ” the report said. Rashplya was found guilty of cruel treatment of civilians, use of banned means and methods of warfare and hate murders.
The investigator said that Rashplya, who was manning fire positions in Mariupol from February to April 2022, shot and killed 16 civilians as he followed his commander Alexander Svinarchuk’s orders. Another nine people managed to hide in a shelter and survive. Rashplya said during interrogation that he had shot at civilians suspecting them of solidarity with Russian policies. He admitted that the victims were unarmed.
The Court sentenced him to 22 years in a maximum security penitentiary.
Svinarchuk who issued unlawful orders had been sentenced to life imprisonment. In a recent trial, the DPR Court gave long prison terms to nine “Azov” gunmen for crimes against civilians.*jk