Taran Vasiliy Vasilevich (Taran Vasil Vasilovich)

Four servicemen of the 11th separate battalion of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Anton Furdalenko, Sergey Zavadsky, Vasily Taran, and Ruslan Savvakis, were taken prisoner in the Kursk region on August 13, 2024. Later, a criminal case was opened against them for committing terrorist acts by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, resulting in significant property damage. According to the Russian investigation, on August 8, 2024, Furdalenko, Zavadsky, Taran, and Savvakis, armed with AK-74 assault rifles, foreign-made RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, and explosive devices, illegally crossed the State Border of the Russian Federation and invaded the territory of the Kursk region. In the Sudzhansky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, military personnel allegedly intimidated and frightened the local population. Threatening to use weapons, they occupied private houses, prohibited the movement of the civilian population, and repeatedly opened fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians. On February 12, 2025, the 2nd Western District Military Court found the defendants guilty and sentenced Sergei Zavadsky to 16 years in prison, with the first 3 years to be served in a prison, and the rest in a strict regime penal colony, Vasily Taran, Anton Furdalenko, and Ruslan Savvakisya to 15 years in prison, with the first 3 years to be served in a prison, and the rest in a strict regime penal colony. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.