Finland Charges Russian Neo-Nazi, Voislav Torden with War Crimes in Ukraine

The Helsinki District Court sentenced Russian neo-Nazi mercenary Yan Petrovsky also known as Voislav Torden, to life in prison for war crimes committed in Ukraine,

Petrovsky, co-leader of the Rusich paramilitary unit, was convicted of ordering and participating in the execution of Ukrainian soldiers in Luhansk Oblast on September 5, 2014, during Russia’s invasion of Donbas.

Prosecutors presented video evidence linking Petrovsky to the killings. He denied the charges, but the court ruled the recordings were sufficient proof of his involvement. One of the five charges against him was dismissed.

Ukraine had sought Petrovsky’s extradition, but a Finnish court ruled on December 8, 2023, that he could not be sent to Ukraine due to concerns over prison conditions under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Rusich unit, associated with Russia’s Wagner Group, has a history of brutality, including documented cases of torture and extrajudicial killings.

Petrovsky has been under EU and US sanctions since 2022. His co-founder, Alexey Milchakov, is known for openly celebrating war crimes and publishing images of animal cruelty.

Earlier, a video circulated on social media appearing to show the execution of at least five unarmed Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity.