The Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) announces on Monday, November 14, the conviction of a citizen of Moldova for the crime of mercenarism in Donetsk, Ukraine, from 2016 to 2021.

According to PCCOCS, the man is from the Strășeni district and is 34 years old. Based on the evidence gathered by Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) officers, he was detained upon his return to the country at the Sculeni border crossing point and subjected to investigation.

“The defendant has admitted his guilt to the crime of mercenarism, manifested by his participation in the armed conflict in Ukraine by contributing to the secession of the separatist Lugansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. He initially joined the Pervaia Slaveanskaya Brigade of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic, where he participated in the military conflict as a soldier. Later he was promoted to battalion commander and then – platoon commander in telecommunications. According to the defendant’s statements, he was paid monthly, and the total annual amount was 150,000 Russian rubles,” prosecutors’ representatives said.

As he pleaded guilty, according to the PCCOCS, he received a reduced sentence and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

The man was placed in custody until the sentence handed down on Friday, 11 November 2022 comes into effect.