Ukrainian military retiree sentenced to 18 years by Russia for serving in the Azov Battalion. He insists that he served in another unit

The prosecution claims that Viktor Kuzmenko served in Azov, a unit of the AFU that is declared “terrorist” in Russia. Kuzmenko was charged with “participating in a terrorist organisation” and r“eceiving training for the purpose of terrorism.” The prosecutor sought a 19-year prison sentence for him.

In his testimony, Kuzmenko stated that he had served in the “convoy company” of Military Unit 3057 since the mid-1990s and retired in 2020. He and his family survived the siege and assault on Mariupol and hid from the shelling. In May 2022, Russian security forces came to Kuzmenko’s home and took him away for “filtration procedures.”

At first, he was held at a “checkpoint” in the village of Mangush, then transferred to a former penal colony in Olenivka, and from there to Horlivka. It was not until late November 2023 that the man was released “pursuant to a ruling by the DPR prosecutor” as having no involvement in any crimes. Kuzmenko returned to Mariupol.

In March 2024, the occupying authorities issued him a Russian passport. A month later, he traveled to Russia, hoping to obtain a foreign passport and leave for Europe. At the border with the Rostov region, he was detained and held at a temporary detention center in Taganrog until mid-August. Only after that was Kuzmenko placed in custody at the Detention Centre No. 2 (SIZO-2), and from there transferred to Perm.

He insists that he never served in “Azov.”

The investigation sought to prove Kuzmenko’s guilt through the testimony of another prisoner, a former assistant to the personnel officer in one of the units of Military Unit 3057. He stated that Azov was “officially” incorporated into the National Guard, but was in fact created for “punitive operations based on the ideas of Ukrainian nationalism and radical Russophobia.”

This aligned with Kuzmenko’s worldview, which is why he joined Azov in 2015 and was involved in “convoying prisoners, including DPR servicemen.” The witness allegedly learned all this while reviewing Kuzmenko’s personal file as part of his official duties.

However, in court, the “personnel officer” stated that he first saw Kuzmenko in Russian detention, in Taganrog, knew nothing about his political views, and, while serving in a “part-time” capacity, was responsible for processing orders and did not have access to soldiers’ personal files.

When asked directly whether he confirmed his testimony from the investigation, the witness answered evasively: “Perhaps” and “Well, how should I put it….”

“We are military personnel, and you’re linking us to some incomprehensible ‘terrorist community’!” he snapped toward the end of the court questioning.