A Russian court has found Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko guilty. She was sentenced to 22 years in jail and pay fine after finding her guilty of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists during the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.
A Russian court has found Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko guilty. She was sentenced to 22 years in jail and pay fine after finding her guilty of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists during the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The hearing took place in the southern Russian town of Donetsk in Rostov region, not far from Ukrainian border.
According to RT, the judge was unable to finish reading the verdict as the woman began singing a Ukrainian nationalist song during the announcement, expressing her denial.
“O my judges, you’ve judged me for two years, but you will perish in prison yourselves…! Glory to Ukraine! Death to our enemies!” sang Savchenko, interrupting the judge, Leonid Stepanenko.
The Ukrainian army aviator denies all charges and has denounced the proceedings as a “farce".
The Telegraph writes, her supporters are now likely to focus on securing a diplomatic deal to release her, possibly involving an exchange for Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgenny Yerofeyev, two Russian special forces soldiers who were captured in eastern Ukraine in May last year.
