Ershov Vitaliy Viktorovich (Yershov Vitaliy Viktorovich)

On February 3, 2025, in the Kursk region, during combat operations, a 34-year-old Ukrainian citizen, a soldier of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a rifleman Vitaliy Yershov, was taken prisoner by Russian military personnel. A criminal case was opened against him for committing a terrorist act by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, resulting in significant damage. According to the Russian investigation, on January 9, 2025, Yershov, armed with an assault rifle and ammunition, as part of combat units in armored personnel carriers, twice crossed the state border of Russia in the Kursk region. In the village of Pogrebki, Sudzhansky District, he "occupied observation and fire positions, monitored the movement of Russian military personnel, intimidated civilians and prevented their evacuation in order to keep the settlement under armed control." On August 13, 2025, the 2nd Western Military District Court found Vitaly Yershov guilty and sentenced him to 16 years of imprisonment, the first 3 years to be served in prison, and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.