HELSINKI -- A court in Finland's capital, Helsinki, has convicted a Russian citizen on four charges of war crimes committed in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Voislav Torden, a 38-year-old Russian ultranationalist earlier known as Yan Petrovsky, was given a life sentence.
Torden was linked to the deaths of 22 Ukrainian soldiers and the injury of four others.
Rarely does a court ruling on war crimes committed in Ukraine come from a jurisdiction outside of Ukraine.
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Torden, a former commander of the Rusich sabotage group, was fighting against Ukrainian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The paramilitary unit has alleged ties to the Wagner mercenary group and embraces far-right ideology.
The Rusich group closely followed Torden's case and said it had raised money to pay for his lawyers.
According to prosecutors, in 2014, fighters led by Torden ambushed a group of Ukrainian soldiers, killing 22 and seriously injuring four.
Photos and video posted by Rusich group on social media apparently showed that some prisoners were executed. One of the prisoners had the Rusich group's symbol carved into his face.
Prosecutors accused Torden of violating the laws of war and committing acts of cruelty against both injured and deceased enemy combatants, according to the indictment.
Torden has denied all the charges and will appeal the ruling.
Why Was Torden Tried In Finland?
Born Yan Petrovsky in 1987 in St. Petersburg, Torden relocated to Oslo in 2004 with his mother. He then regularly visited Russia, where he met former paratrooper and nationalist Aleksandr Milchakov.
In 2014, they traveled to Ukraine’s Donbas region to support Russia-backed separatists in their fight against Ukrainian forces.
Torden was deported from Norway to Russia in 2016, where he took the name Voislav Torden instead of Yan Petrovsky.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine Alleges 150,000 Possible Russian War Crimes. Here Are 5 Of The WorstHe entered Finland in 2023 as a family member of his wife, who had obtained a study permit.
Torden was detained at Helsinki Airport on July 20, 2023, as he attempted to board a flight to France.
Following his arrest, Ukrainian authorities sought his extradition, but Finland's Supreme Court denied the request, citing concerns over conditions in Ukrainian prisons and the potential for Torden to face humiliation in custody.
Ukraine's Prosecutor-General's Office hailed the court decision, saying the case "marks a key milestone in holding perpetrators of grave violations of international humanitarian law accountable."