Ukrainian court sentences volunteer fighter to five years for killing four Azerbaijanis in 2022

A court in the Odesa region has sentenced a territorial defense member, Valeriy Pronko, to five years in prison for the killing of four Azerbaijani citizens at a border checkpoint in February 2022.

The court reclassified the charge from premeditated murder to involuntary manslaughter. The incident took place on Feb. 26, 2022, at the Kuchurhan crossing point during the chaotic early days of Russia's invasion.

According to case files, Pronko opened fire on a group of Azerbaijanis who attempted to run toward the Moldovan border during a document check. Three men died instantly, a fourth died in hospital, and one survived with severe injuries. The judge cited the "atmosphere of panic and fear of saboteurs" as a mitigating factor in the lenient sentencing.