Khukhtala Topi (Topi Huhtala)

In January 2024, it became known that a criminal case was opened under the article on mercenarism against 28-year-old Finnish citizen Topi Huhtala, who commands the Scandinavian platoon Team Wiking, which was engaged in reconnaissance and participated in hostilities on the side of Ukraine. According to the Russian investigation, in March 2022, Khukhtala arrived in Ukraine at the permanent deployment point of the paramilitary formation "International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine" with the aim of receiving material compensation to participate as a mercenary in the armed conflict and military actions against the Armed Forces of the DNR, LNR, and the Russian Federation." There he joined the aforementioned unit, underwent military training aimed at acquiring skills in handling combat weapons, strategy, tactics, and methods of conducting combat operations necessary for participation in an armed conflict. After that, the defendant was provided with personal firearms, ammunition, uniforms, and special equipment. Since May 2022, Khukhtalo was appointed commander of the paramilitary unit 'Team Wiking', formed from Finnish mercenaries, which is under the operational subordination of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the period from March 2022 to May 2024, Khukhtala, following the orders of his superiors, for monetary reward, took direct part in hostilities against the military personnel of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and Russian military personnel. Basmanny District Court of Moscow issued an in absentia arrest warrant for Khukhtal and put him on the wanted list. On July 30, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic found Topi Khukhtala guilty and sentenced him in absentia to 14 years in a strict regime colony. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.