A Latvian citizen detained in the autumn of 2024 in Šķilbēni Parish has been sentenced to six years in prison and two years of probation for illegally participating in warfare in Ukraine as a member of the Russian army, as well as for deliberately crossing the national border illegally, the Prosecutor’s Office reports.
The Riga City Court approved a plea agreement reached between the prosecutor and the accused, in which the defendant admitted guilt and accepted the punishment in the criminal case.
According to the charges, the man violated the National Security Law, which prohibits Latvian citizens from serving in foreign armed forces. In 2023, he signed a contract to serve in the Russian military and was deployed to Chelyabinsk, where he joined the 80th Tank Regiment’s artillery unit of the Russian Armed Forces.
In October, he was sent to the active combat zone in Ukraine.
While participating in fighting in the Donetsk region, he violated a provision of the Latvian Criminal Law that prohibits active involvement in armed conflicts outside Latvia that threaten a country’s territorial integrity or political independence, and which contradict Latvia’s international obligations.
The indictment states that the man helped construct defensive fortifications (bunkers) for the Russian military, carried out guard duties with a Russian-issued service firearm and ammunition, and participated in tactical combat and firearms training.
Additionally, in autumn 2023, he illegally crossed the national border from Russia into Latvia.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, mitigating factors include the fact that the accused pleaded guilty, confessed voluntarily, expressed remorse, and agreed to cover procedural costs incurred by the state.
Considering the severity and nature of the crime, its societal harm, and the accused’s personal circumstances, along with his cooperation under the Criminal Procedure Law, the prosecutor entered into a plea agreement, which the court has now approved.
As previously reported, the man was detained on the 7th of October 2024, by the State Border Guard (VRS) in Šķilbēni Parish while attempting to illegally cross the border from Russia. A criminal case was initially opened by the Border Guard for illegal crossing the border but was later taken over by the State Security Service (VDD), which expanded the investigation under a broader criminal proceeding.