A 72-year-old American has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison by a Russian court for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. The individual, hailing from Michigan, signed a contract with the Ukrainian military following Russia's incursion into Ukraine in February 2022. Prosecutors claimed that he fought alongside Ukrainian troops until being captured two months later. The defendant was handed a sentence of six years and 10 months in a general-security prison, with prosecutors initially seeking a seven-year term in a maximum-security facility.
This case marks the first instance of an American being convicted on charges of mercenary activity in the Ukrainian conflict. Despite the potential for a 15-year sentence, prosecutors took into consideration the defendant's age and admission of guilt during the trial. The trend of American arrests in Russia has been on the rise, leading to concerns that U.S. nationals may be targeted for potential use as bargaining chips in diplomatic negotiations.
In a separate development, another American named Robert Gilman was sentenced to seven years and 1 month by a court in Voronezh for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers while already serving a sentence for a prior offense. Gilman's initial arrest in 2022 stemmed from causing a disturbance while intoxicated on a passenger train, followed by an assault on a police officer while in custody. Subsequently, he received a 3 1/2-year sentence for the initial charge.
Further incidents involving Gilman included an assault on a prison inspector during a cell check last year, as well as an attack on an official from the Investigative Committee. These actions led to the imposition of the new seven-year and 1-month sentence. Notably, the U.S. and Russia recently concluded a significant prisoner swap, involving 24 individuals and requiring extensive negotiations and concessions from European countries. Despite this exchange, several American citizens remain incarcerated in Russia following the completion of the swap.
