The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic has sentenced in absentia in a criminal case against 51-year-old Latvian citizen Sarmite Tsirule. She was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict).
According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia, in September 2022, Tsirule arrived on the territory of Ukraine and joined the 49th infantry battalion "Carpathian Sich" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a mercenary. On the territory of the battalion's training bases, she underwent military training, receiving weapons, ammunition and the necessary equipment. Having the experience of a general nurse, she took part in combat operations as a military medic on the side of Ukraine until March 2026 in Slavyansk and The Red Estuary.
For her actions, the mercenary received a reward of more than 3.5 million rubles.
Tsirule has been put on the international wanted list, and a preventive measure in the form of detention has been chosen against her by the court in absentia.
Taking into account the position of the public prosecutor, the court sentenced Tsirule in absentia to 13 years of imprisonment to serve his sentence in a general regime penal colony.
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