Russian Soldier Faces Unprecedented Trial in Ukraine Over Alleged Execution of POW

Dmitriy Kurashov, a former Russian prisoner recruited into the army, pleaded guilty in a Zaporizhzhia court to killing 41-year-old Ukrainian soldier Vitalii Hodniuk, known by the callsign “Penguin”, in January 2024. He was serving with a “Storm-V” assault unit made up almost entirely of convicts.

According to three of his former unit members, Hodniuk emerged from a foxhole unarmed and knelt in surrender when Kurashov shot him with a burst from his rifle. Kurashov initially denied the charges, blaming another soldier, but changed his plea in court, claiming he wanted to shorten proceedings despite still informally protesting his innocence.

Ukrainian forces overran the position hours after the attack and captured Kurashov and others. Hodniuk’s body was found face down, with no weapon nearby, witnesses told investigators.

While Ukraine’s authorities have opened tens of thousands of war crimes investigations since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, very few suspects have been captured and brought to court.

The Ukrainian security service (SBU) led the investigation using witness statements, intercepted communications, and social media verification. “We’ve gathered enough evidence that points to guilt,” one officer involved in the case told the BBC.

Three Russian witnesses testified on the trial’s first day–all former prisoners who, like Kurashov, were offered freedom in exchange for combat.

Other Topics of Interest

Former US Navy Pilot Exposes Russian ‘Civilian Safari in Ukraine’ with drones

Former US Navy pilot and filmmaker Ken Harbaugh discusses with Kyiv Post his documentary Drone Hunters of Kherson, which follows Ukrainian UAV operators risking their lives to intercept Russian FPV drones targeting civilians in the frontline city. He argues that Russia’s drone campaign against Kherson’s residents is both a “deliberate terror tactic” and a warning of the future of warfare, with lessons the West cannot afford to ignore.

POW executions on the rise

The UN says executions of prisoners by Russian troops are rising sharply. A February 2025 report by its human rights mission in Ukraine documented 79 such cases since August 2024.

Ukrainian officials report that Russian forces have executed 124 POWs since the full-scale invasion started in 2022.

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