Forsbek Karl Fredrik Kristofer (Karl Fredrik Christopher Forsbäck)

In the Kursk region, a criminal case was initiated in absentia against 49-year-old citizen of the Kingdom of Sweden Karl Forsbeck no later than August 2024. He was accused of participating in an armed conflict as a mercenary, illegally crossing the state border, committing a terrorist act, as well as smuggling and illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition as part of an organized group. According to the Russian investigation, no later than March 1, 2022, Forsbeck arrived in Ukraine and, with the aim of obtaining material gain, joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit "International Legion." In August 2024, he, as part of an organized group, armed with an assault rifle and a pistol, illegally crossed the state border of Russia in the Kursk region, where he offered armed resistance to servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. For his activities as a mercenary, he received a reward of more than 3.3 million rubles. The court in absentia chose a measure of restraint against the defendant in the form of detention and put him on the international wanted list. On December 18, 2025, the 2nd Western District Military Court in absentia found Karl Forsbeck guilty and sentenced him to 27 years of imprisonment, with the first 7 years to be served in prison, and the remaining part in a strict regime penal colony, with a fine of 1.5 million rubles.