A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war
The Court of Appeals upheld the sentence handed down to Russian soldier Sergei Tuzhilov, whose call sign is “Altai,” who was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the murder of three Ukrainian prisoners of war on the grounds of the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant. The court rejected the defense’s appeal, which sought a more lenient sentence.
The General Prosecutor’s Office noted that the Court of Appeals upheld the position of prosecutors from the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office and confirmed the legality of the sentence.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Sergey Tuzhilov was the commander of a grenade launcher squad in a motorized rifle company of the Russian Federation’s armed forces.
“In June 2024, following the interrogation of a captured Ukrainian soldier, the Russian command ordered his execution. Tuzhilov designated the execution site and secured the perimeter,” the Office of the Prosecutor General stated.
In early July 2024, Russian troops captured two more Ukrainian defenders. After interrogating them, the Russian command also ordered the prisoners to be killed.
“Tuzhilov coordinated the plan for the execution with another soldier in advance, after which both fired a shot to the back of the captives’ heads,” the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.
On September 24, 2024, during the liberation of the territory of the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant, Ukrainian special forces took Serhiy Tuzhilov prisoner. Prosecutors documented the circumstances of the crimes and gathered evidence.
On January 13, 2026, the Kholodnohirsk District Court of Kharkiv found Serhiy Tuzhilov guilty of cruel treatment of prisoners of war, combined with premeditated murders committed by a group of individuals acting in concert. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The defense appealed the sentence regarding the punishment, insisting on a reduction.
“The defense appealed the verdict regarding the sentence, demanding that it be reduced. The Court of Appeals rejected the appeal and upheld the life sentence,” the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.
Thus, the life sentence handed down to Sergei Tuzhilov, known by the call sign “Altai,” remains in effect.
The Office of the Prosecutor General announced this on Facebook.
As a reminder, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced that a 36-year-old Russian citizen from St. Petersburg was suspected of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, punishable by 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment) against a 36-year-old Russian citizen from St. Petersburg with the call sign “Yula.” He is accused of shooting and killing five military personnel and one civilian in the Kharkiv region.
On October 13, in the Kharkiv region, an unidentified man shot and killed five servicemen of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. All five died from their injuries. In the Tsyrkunivska community, he shot a civilian man in the head while the man was fishing near a body of water to prevent him from exposing him.
