A Moscow tribunal connected Monday sentenced 2 men to situation for vandalizing a makeshift memorial dedicated to Wagner mercenaries and Russian soldiers killed successful Ukraine.
The Tverskoy District Court convicted Daniil Golikov and Andrei Kozlovsky of vandalism and “destruction” aft they were caught connected camera kicking implicit 3 vases astatine the thoroughfare memorial adjacent Red Square.
Golikov received a two-and-a-half-year sentence, portion Kozlovsky was sentenced to 3 years successful an unfastened prison, a installation with little terrible conditions than a modular penal colony. Both men said successful tribunal that they were drunk astatine the clip of the incident.
The memorial, located connected Varvarka Street, features flowers, candles, photos of fighters and Russian flags. It was initially acceptable up past twelvemonth successful representation of pro-Kremlin subject blogger Maxim Fomin, besides known arsenic Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed successful a cafe bombing successful St. Petersburg.
Over time, it has go a broader commemorative site, including tributes to Wagner Group laminitis Yevgeny Prigozhin — killed successful a level clang successful August 2023 — and different fighters who died successful Ukraine.
Court footage showed the 2 young men lasting silently arsenic their sentences were read. Mediazona identified Golikov, 28, arsenic a postgraduate of Moscow's Higher School of Economics and Kozlovsky, 26, arsenic an alumnus of the Diplomatic Academy nether Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Security footage presented successful tribunal captured the pair, visibly intoxicated, kicking implicit vases of flowers astatine the memorial connected the nighttime of March 10. The prosecution estimated the harm astatine 55,732 rubles ($556).
The defendants apologized successful tribunal and claimed to person paid for the damages, their lawyers said.
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