Yasyukevichyus Sharunas

In November 2024, in the Kursk Oblast, a criminal case was initiated in absentia against Lithuanian citizen Sharunas Yasukevicius for committing a terrorist act and mercenary activities. According to the version of the Russian investigation, the citizen of Lithuania allegedly engaged in training mercenaries and personally took part in an armed conflict as a mercenary on the territory of the Russian Federation. Along with other Ukrainian military personnel, Yasyukevich illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation in early August 2024 and invaded the territory of the Kursk region. After the invasion, in order to intimidate, they allegedly committed criminal acts against the civilian population. At the request of the investigator of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the court in absentia chose a measure of restraint for Yasukevichius in the form of detention and put him on the international wanted list. On March 12, 2025, the 2nd Western Military District Court found Sharunas Yasukevicius guilty and sentenced him in absentia to 23 years in prison, with the first 5 years to be served in a prison, and the remainder of the sentence in a strict regime penal colony. In addition, the court ruled on the confiscation of monetary funds in the amount of more than 2.6 million rubles received by Yasyukevicius as a mercenary. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.