Based on the evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic has sentenced in absentia Anatoliy Bezdukhov, a serviceman of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

He has been found guilty of crimes under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the RF (cruel treatment of the civilian population) and clauses "a", "z", "l" of Part 2 of article 105 of the Criminal Code of the RF (murder of two persons, committed by an organized group, motivated by political and ideological hatred).

The investigation and the court have established that from February to May 2022, Bezdukhov and his fellow servicemen were stationed in buildings and structures in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk People's Republic. According to their criminal plan, they were to forcibly maintain control over the territory of the city under the Kyiv regime, killing civilians and individuals with pro-Russian positions. In March-April 2022, Bezdukhov was in a firing position. When he saw a moving civilian car with white ribbons on the rearview mirrors, he, following the orders of the higher command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian formations, along with his fellow servicemen, fired at the car with two civilians inside. The man and woman died at the scene from gunshot wounds.

The court sentenced him in absentia to 28 years of imprisonment in a maximum security correctional colony.