Russian POW Sentenced to Life for Executing Civilians

A 21-year-old Russian POW has been sentenced to life in prison for the October 2024 murder of civilians in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region. 

Artem Kulikov – a convicted criminal who was mobilised directly from a Russian prison into the 23rd Motorized Rifle Brigade - was captured by Ukraine’s Defence Forces later on the same day that he committed the crimes.

The trial at the Osnovianskyi District Court of Kharkiv was held behind closed doors at the request of the defence. Valeriia Chyrina, a spokesperson for the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, explained that the decision was made because of the existing risks and the need to protect the victims’ relatives.

Kulikov, who used the call sign Dukh (Ghost), is from the town of Pavlovo in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. Details of his background and his capture in June 2025 were released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) when the case was sent to court.

In the autumn of 2024, during a renewed offensive in the Kharkiv region, Russian forces were in the process of consolidating their positions on the outskirts of the village of Petropavlivka in the Kupiansk district.

On the night of  October 6, soldiers from the 23rd Motorised Rifle Brigade, including Kulikov and another with the call sign Kruglyi (Round), broke into a private home in Petropavlivka. The following day, two unarmed local residents, born in 1967 and 1972, arrived at the house on a scooter. One of the men was the homeowner.

“While reporting on the operational situation, the defendant radioed his commander, call sign Grif (Griffon vulture), about two civilians who had entered a yard and were trying to open the door to a house,” Chyrina told IWPR. “At that moment, an explosion occurred nearby, causing the civilians to retreat to a safe distance on their scooter. They returned a short time later and again attempted to enter the house. Kruglyi once more reported the civilians’ presence to his commander and received an order to detain and interrogate them.”

The soldiersdetained the men at gunpoint, tied their hands and took them to a room where they questioned them about the location of Ukrainian troops. 

Shortly after, a 49-year-old civilian arrived at the house and was also detained and interrogated. 

The SBU reported that the detained men had been trying to help a fellow villager evacuate to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

After the interrogations, the Russian soldiers fell asleep while guarding the location. One of the captives managed to free himself and escape the building. The following day, the armed forces of Ukraine launched an assault on the building. Kulikov and Kruglyi decided to relocate.

“They radioed their commander, who ordered them to change positions and ‘eliminate’ the civilians,” Chyrina said. “The defendant interpreted this as an order to kill. Despite being aware of the international armed conflict and having a real opportunity to disobey the criminal order from the Russian serviceman with the call sign Grif, [Kulikov]entered the room and opened fire with his assault rifle on two residents of the Kupiansk district. They died at the scene from their injuries.”

After the killings, Kulikov left the house but was captured by the Ukrainian armed forces later that day. He was taken prisoner along with Kruglyi, who was wounded and later died from blood loss.

“I Fired About Ten Shots at Them”

According to Chyrina, the accused admitted his guilt and cooperated with the investigation. The official website of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office features a video of a crime scene reenactment in which Kulikov describes the killing of the men.

“Yes, I killed two civilians. I fired about ten shots at them. After they fell, I returned to Kruglyi and handed over my rifle,” Kulikov said in the video.

Kulikov was charged under Part 2, Article 28 and Part 2, Article 438 of the criminal code of Ukraine with a war crime involving premeditated murder, committed by a group acting in conspiracy.

An investigation is underway to identify Kulikov’s commander, known as Grif.

During closing arguments on August 12, the prosecutor requested a life sentence. He argued that the defendant’s guilt was fully proven by evidence presented in court, including testimony from victims and witnesses, as well as DNA analysis. The prosecutor also noted that Kulikov had actively cooperated with the investigation.

The defence asked for a more lenient sentence, citing the defendant’s remorse.

That same day, the court delivered its verdict, sentencing Kulikov to life imprisonment. His defence team has 30 days to appeal the ruling.

According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, this is the eighth custodial sentence handed down to a Russian perpetrator in the Kharkiv region.