08.12.2025, Donetsk.
The Donetsk Garrison Military Court issued a verdict under Part 5 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of official authority with the use of torture resulting in the victim’s death through negligence), TASS informed.
Vitaly Vansyatsky, involved in the murder of American journalist Russell Bentley, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Vansyatsky was also stripped of his military rank of major and is prohibited from holding positions in public service involving organizational and administrative authority for 10 years.
Andrey Iordanov was stripped of the rank of lieutenant and sentenced to 12 years in a high-security correctional colony. Vladislav Agaltsev received 11 years of imprisonment.
Vladimir Bazhin was sentenced to 1.5 years in a settlement colony.
Bentley was originally from the United States. Since 2014, under the call sign “Texas,” he fought on the side of the Donetsk People’s Republic and later became a war correspondent. On April 8, 2024, he went out to help the wounded after the shelling of Donetsk. He was not seen again after that.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
