A Ukrainian court has sentenced Russian soldier Dmitry Kurashov to life in prison for killing a Ukrainian prisoner of war, marking the first conviction for such a crime since Russia's 2022 invasion. The court in Zaporizhzhia found Kurashov, 27, guilty of shooting dead Vitalii Hodniuk, who had surrendered in January 2024 when his dugout was captured by Russian forces. Kurashov pleaded guilty but later claimed innocence and expressed a desire to be exchanged in a prisoner swap; he told Reuters he would not appeal.
Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said criminal investigations are ongoing into the murder of 322 Ukrainian servicemen who had laid down arms or surrendered since the war began. The case highlights Kyiv's efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for war crimes.
In other developments, Ukrainian drones struck a major oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd region for the second time in three months, Ukraine's general staff reported. Russian officials did not confirm the attack, but the local governor said drones caused a fire at an unspecified industrial facility. The refinery is the largest fuel and lubricant producer in Russia's southern federal district, processing over 15 million tons of crude annually.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence said saboteurs from the Freedom of Russia group used Molotov cocktails to burn dozens of locomotives transporting military cargo, aiming to disrupt Russian logistics. The claim could not be independently verified.
Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent to establish a hub in Ukraine for developing new weapons technologies, with Swedish personnel working on site. This follows a previous agreement on aviation cooperation that could lead to Ukraine purchasing up to 150 Gripen E fighter jets.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said foreign countries are helping Ukraine maintain its power grid amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. He noted that repair crews are working daily to restore services after strikes near the border and front lines. Separately, Swiss commodity trader Gunvor withdrew its proposal to buy foreign assets of Russian energy company Lukoil after the US Treasury opposed the deal, calling Gunvor Russia's 'puppet'. A Moscow-backed court in occupied Donetsk jailed two Colombians for 13 years each for fighting for Ukraine; they were arrested in Venezuela in July 2024.
