Ukraines Historic Extradition of Russian Soldier Signals New Era for War Crimes Accountability

On Friday, Ukraine announced the transfer of a detained Russian soldier to Lithuania, marking what it described as a «historic» first step toward accountability for war crimes.

«This is the first instance since the onset of full-scale aggression that Ukraine has surrendered a Russian serviceman to another nation, Lithuania, for genuine legal proceedings regarding war crimes,» stated Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on Telegram.

Kyiv is resolute in its pursuit of holding Russian military leaders accountable for the invasion that began in 2022, seeking international justice for numerous reported atrocities by the Russian forces.

According to officials, the transferred individual—a sailor from the Russian military police—was apprehended by Ukrainian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region, close to the southern village of Robotyne.

Kravchenko noted that the soldier played a role in the unlawful detention, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians and prisoners of war, including a Lithuanian national.

He mentioned that Lithuania intends to file war crimes charges against the suspect, who could face life imprisonment in the Baltic nation, a NATO and EU member and a strong ally of Ukraine.

Kravchenko referred to the extradition as «a landmark and significant precedent for the global justice system.»

«It sends a clear message to all war criminals: there is no escape from justice in any free nation.»

The Lithuanian prosecutor general’s office indicated in a statement that local law enforcement collaborated with Ukraine regarding this case.

“The suspect, along with other Russian soldiers, is alleged to have not only guarded unlawfully detained civilians and prisoners of war, but also participated in their beating and torture,” it stated.

The reported methods of torture included “imprisoning victims in a metal safe, suffocating them until they lost consciousness, hanging them by their tied hands, dousing them with cold water in freezing conditions, and inflicting trauma with electric shocks.”

A court in Vilnius has ordered that the suspect remain in custody for at least three months prior to the trial, according to the prosecutor general’s office.