In brief
This conviction marks Finland's first war crimes case related to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Voislav Torden, a commander in a Russian paramilitary group, received a life sentence from a Finnish court for his role in war crimes during the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The court found Torden, who also goes by Yan Petrovskiy, guilty of leading an ambush that resulted in the murder and mutilation of Ukrainian soldiers.This case represents a significant moment in Finland's legal history as it's the first time a court managed to convict someone for war crimes stemming from the Ukraine conflict. The ruling came after a United Nations investigation concluded that Russian forces had committed numerous atrocities during their operations in Eastern Ukraine.Torden pleaded not guilty to five war crimes charges but was convicted unanimously by the judges on multiple counts, including ambush leadership and distribution of violent images. He was, however, acquitted of a planning charge due to lack of evidence.Torden was part of a neo-Nazi militia called Rusich, associated with the notorious Wagner Group, which is known for its involvement in various military actions. Both the U.S. and the EU had previously sanctioned him and his militia for their role in the conflict. The Rusich group has a track record of fighting alongside Russian forces in various deadly encounters in the Donbas region and recently reappeared in northeastern Ukraine in 2022.
