Two Russian soldiers from Kamchatka in the far east have been sentenced to two and a half years each in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, human rights group OVD-Info said on Wednesday.
In separate rulings, the men, identified in military court documents as Alexander Stepanov and Andrei Mikhailov, were found guilty of refusing orders to go into combat during wartime. Russian President Vladimir Putin amended the criminal code last year to include prison sentences of up to three years for such violations.
The 35th Garrison Military Court in Kamchatka handed down the sentences to Stepanov and Mikhailov on April 25 and April 27, respectively. The men have not yet been sent to prison and have the option to appeal.
