- Title: Timeline: Russian court verdict due in trial of Ukrainian soldiers
- Date: 25th March 2025
- Summary: The wives of two of the last remaining Ukrainian fighters holed up in Mariupol's steelworks asked Pope Francis on May 11 to help get soldiers to a third country, with one telling him: "please don't let them die." VATICAN CITY (FILE - MAY 11, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** 156. ALTAR IN FRONT OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA 157. POPE STANDING AND SPEAKING
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Azovstal Illich Ilyich Mariupol Russian invasion Ukraine damage defence of Mariupol destroyed evacuation residential buildings steel plant war
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA00S161525032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Russian court in Rostov-on-Don is expected to give a verdict in a trial of Ukrainian military personnel, most of them belonging to the former Azov regiment that defended the port city of Mariupol in the months-long fierce battle against Russian forces in February to April 2022.
The 24 Ukrainian soldiers, including nine women, are accused of terrorist activity and participation in a terrorist organisation and could face up to 20 years in jail.
Russia started in February 2022 what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. The two sides have been battling ever since.
Russia says that it protects Russian-speaking people in Ukraine and that the West is using Ukraine to wage war against Russia.
That narrative is rejected by Kyiv and the West, which say Ukraine is fighting for survival against an imperial land grab by Russia.
(Production: Natasa Bansagi, Kristian Brunse, Nasaybah Hussain, Ben Dangerfield, Paul Warren, Gabriela Boccaccio, Olga Vyshnevska, Leila Dougan)
REUTERS / UKRAINE MILITARY / MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / RURTR / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY / MARIUPOL CITY COUNCIL / DAVID ARAKHAMIA/AZOV HANDOUT / PYOTR VERZILOV / MEDIAZONA / VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS / PRESS SERVICE OF UKRAINE'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE / AZOV REGIMENT / RUSSIAN POOL / HANDOUT FROM RUSSIA-BACKED SELF-PROCLAIMED DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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