A military court in Moscow sentenced three sons of Orthodox priest Igor Ashcheulov on July 3 to lengthy prison terms for their intention to join Ukrainian armed forces. Ioann Ashcheulov received 17 1/2 years in prison, his brothers -- Aleksei and Timofei -- were sentenced to 17 years in prison each on charges of attempted treason and intending to join a terrorist group. The brothers pleaded not guilty. They were detained in July 2023 near the Ukrainian border while trying to join the so-called Liberty of Russia legion, consisting mostly of Russian citizens, which fights alongside Ukrainian armed forces against invading Russian troops. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
