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Ukrainian Court Sentences Russian Soldier to 12 Years for Abducting Civilians in Chernihiv Region
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The Chernihiv District Court, in Ukraine, has handed down a verdict against Russian serviceman Nikita Zheludkov for the abduction and robbery of two civilians during Russian occupation of the region in March 2022.
The decision was reported by the “Book of the Executioners of the Ukrainian People” project on January 12.
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The court sentenced Zheludkov in absentia to 12 years in prison. Investigators found that while stationed in the Chernihiv region in March 2022, he issued an order to kidnap two civilians.
Court documents state that on March 17, 2022, near the villages of Khalyavin and Polubotky, Russian troops detained two civilian men from Khalyavin as they were heading to Chernihiv to buy food. Acting on Zheludkov’s orders—he was then a reconnaissance company commander in the 35th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russia’s 41st Combined Arms Army, Central Military District—the men were searched and forcibly taken to the Russians’ base.
In Polubotky, the victims were stripped of their mobile phones and cash, threatened with execution, and then dumped into a cold basement of a private house with their hands tied and eyes covered. They were held there for three days in harsh conditions, with almost no food or water and no access to a toilet. They were later taken for interrogation, during which Russian soldiers staged a mock execution.
On March 20, the men were again blindfolded and driven to an open field, where they were ordered to lie on the ground under threats of being shot. After the Russian troops departed, the civilians managed to untie themselves and reach Chernihiv.
Investigators identified Zheludkov several months later. In March 2025, both victims independently identified him from photographs during investigative procedures.
The court ruled that Zheludkov’s actions constituted cruel treatment of civilians and violations of the laws and customs of war, committed by a group acting in prior conspiracy.
The sentence will take effect from the moment of his actual detention.
Earlier, a Ukrainian court handed down a life sentence to Russian serviceman Serhii Tuzhylov, known by the call sign “Altai,” for his involvement in the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war during Russia’s renewed offensive in the Kharkiv region in 2024.
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