Dionas Rocembach Martins, a 35-year-old Brazilian, was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison over accusations that he fought for Ukraine. (Foto: Instagram)
Dionas Rocembach Martins, a 35-year-old Brazilian, has been sentenced in Russia to 14 years in prison on accusations that he fought alongside Ukraine as a “mercenary.” The Russian Investigative Committee announced the sentence on Friday, Nov. 6.
Investigators said Martins arrived in Ukraine in 2023 and joined the country’s forces, which are led by President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was reportedly recruited through the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, established at the start of the conflict to attract foreign volunteers to fight alongside Ukrainian forces as they faced Russia’s military superiority.
The Kremlin’s allegation describes Martins as a mercenary, a term for someone who takes part in a war for financial gain. However, foreign nationals who enlist to fight in Ukraine become members of the country’s armed forces, according to the report.
Martins was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic, a Ukrainian region occupied by Russia. His whereabouts are unknown. Russian authorities have added him to the country’s international wanted list.
