Zelenko Nikita Sergeevich
Case Information
- Charges:
- Art. 205.1 CC RF Part 4, Art. 205 CC RF Part 3 Clause b
- Sentence:
- , пожизненно заочно
- Estimated release date:
- 30 нояб. 2025 г.
- Case categories:
- War-related, War-related, Kursk
- Rosfinmonitoring status:
- Added 21 мая 2025 г.
Case Description
Zelenko Nikita Sergeevich - Art. 205.1, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation Addition to the list of terrorists and extremists dated 21.05.2025 ZELENKO NIKITA SERGEEVICH*, born 17.04.1988 , G. KYIV OF UKRAINE; NO LATER THAN JULY 2025, A FOURTH CRIMINAL CASE WAS INITIATED AGAINST KOLIADA, WITH 37-YEAR-OLD UKRAINIAN CITIZEN, COMMANDER OF THE BATTALIONS OF THE 14TH SEPARATE DRONE REGIMENT OF THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES, LIEUTENANT NIKITA ZELENKO, BECOMING THE SECOND DEFENDANT. They were accused of committing a terrorist act that resulted in serious consequences and intentional infliction of death on a person. According to the Russian investigation, on the evening of July 8, 2025, Zelensky and Koloda, acting on the plan of the higher command, gave an order to launch two "FirePoint-1" unmanned aerial vehicles with explosive devices. The attack was directed at the Kursk city beach "with the aim of intimidating the peaceful population and destabilizing the activities of the Russian Federation's authorities." 3. One of the drones was shot down, and it fell on the beach, where later its fragment, filled with damaging elements, exploded. As a result of the explosion, three men were killed and five more people were injured. Within a day, a minor child who was on the beach died in the hospital from burns. The court issued a detention order in absentia against Zelenko and Kolyada. They were placed on the international wanted list. On December 10, 2025, the 2nd Western Military District Court found Nikita Zelenko and Dmitry Kolyad guilty in absentia and sentenced each of them to life imprisonment, with the first 8 years to be served in prison, and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony. 1. ____ The court announced in absentia the verdict against two commanders of units of Ukrainian armed formations who carried out a terrorist attack on the city of The Kursk 2nd Western Military District Court issued an in absentia verdict in a criminal case against the commanders of the battalions of the 14th separate regiment of unmanned systems of the armed formations of Ukraine, 37-year-old Lieutenant Nikita Zelenko and 31-year-old Captain Dmitry Kolyada, who were found guilty under paragraph "b" of Part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act resulting in grave consequences). In court, it was established that Zelensky and Koloda, acting as part of an organized group according to a plan developed by the Ukrainian military command, committed a terrorist act with the aim of intimidating the civilian population and destabilizing the activities of the state authorities of the Russian Federation. In the evening of July 8, 2025. THE AFOREMENTIONED PERSONS LAUNCHED TWO UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES WITH EXPLOSIVE DEVICES FILLED WITH AN EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCE OF THE HEXOGEN TYPE AND DESTRUCTIVE ELEMENTS IN THE FORM OF METAL BALLS, ATTACKING THE "CITY" BEACH IN G. Kursk. As a result of this strike, people were killed, as well as other grave consequences were caused. Zelensky and Koloda have been placed on an international wanted list, and the court has chosen a measure of restraint in the form of detention against them in absentia. The investigative and judicial authorities have taken exhaustive measures to search for and detain them, but the real possibility of Zelensko and Kolyada's participation in criminal proceedings is absent. During the court proceedings, all procedural actions that can be carried out in the absence of the defendants have been completed. The circumstances mentioned are exceptional and allow for the trial to be conducted in their absence. The court agreed with the position of the state prosecutor - the representative of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office and sentenced each of the convicts in absentia to life imprisonment, with the first 8 years to be served in prison, and the remaining part of the sentence in a strict regime correctional colony. ___ 10.12.2025 Ukrainian commanders Zelenko and Koloda sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment The 2nd Western District Military Court considered in absentia a criminal case against the commanders of the second and third battalions of the 14th separate regiment of unmanned systems of the armed formations of Ukraine Nikita Zelenko and Dmitry Koloda, who were accused of committing a crime provided for by p. Part "b" of Article 3rd art. Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act resulting in intentional infliction of death on a person). The court established that on July 8, 2025, Zelensky and Koleda instructed their subordinates to launch two "FirePoint-1" UAVs at civilian infrastructure facilities in the Kursk region with the aim of compelling the state authorities of the Russian Federation to make a decision to cease the SVO within the framework of a unified plan of the higher command and military administration of Ukraine, related to the attack on the Kursk region, which began in August 2024. Thanks to the efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defense's air defense forces, the attack was repelled, but one of the UAVs did not explode in the air and fell on the city beach in Kursk, hitting a woman and a young child who were there. While they were receiving medical assistance, one of the fragments of the drone, filled with damaging elements, exploded. As a result, three men were killed and another five people were injured of varying severity. The boy died from his burns in hospital 24 hours later on July 9th. The court sentenced Zelensky and Koloda, previously convicted by the Southern Military District Court, in absentia to life imprisonment, with each serving the first 8 years in prison and the remainder of the sentence in a strict regime penal colony.
Co-Defendants (1)
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