Russian authorities announced on Thursday the sentencing of a British national to 13 years in prison for fighting for Ukraine against the Russian army. According to the Russian prosecutor's office, the man was found guilty of acting as a paid mercenary and will serve his sentence in a high-security prison.
The convicted British man has been identified as 30-year-old Hayden Davies. According to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, he was tried in a court located in a part of the Donetsk region controlled by Moscow, one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed as its own in 2022, an annexation not recognized by Ukraine and the international community.
Russian authorities claim that Hayden Davies arrived in western Ukraine in August 2024, where he allegedly signed a contract to join the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine. He then reportedly underwent military training before participating in combat against Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
According to the statement, Davies was captured by Russian forces in the winter of 2024. He was reportedly found in possession of an assault rifle and American-made ammunition. The official statement does not specify how the defendant pleaded at his trial.
This conviction is part of a series of prosecutions launched by Russia against foreigners accused of fighting alongside Ukraine. Moscow systematically labels these fighters as mercenaries, a designation rejected by Kyiv, which considers the International Legion an integral part of its armed forces. The case risks further exacerbating diplomatic tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom, already deeply strained since the start of the war in Ukraine.
