MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Courts in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics have handed sentences to more than 220 Ukrainian military personnel this year, Russia’s Investigative Committee has told TASS.

"Evidence collected by IC investigators formed the basis of sentences handed by the courts of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics to more than 220 Ukrainian military personnel. The convicts were sentenced to long terms, including life imprisonment," the IC said.

The committee said that the investigation had been completed of the criminal case against Georgian citizen Mamuka Gatsarelia. The militant, recruited by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, was supplied with weapons and equipment and sent to participate in hostilities in Mariupol. He is accused of attempting to kill at least four Russian military servicemen. Gatsarelia was detained.

Latvian nationalist Gunders Kalva was charged in absentia. It has been established that on February 23, 2021 in the city of Jekabpils, in Latvia, he damaged a part of the tombstone monument erected at the burial place of Red Army soldiers. After the start of the special military operation, he joined the irregular paramilitary group Carpathian Sich. As a member of that group he participated in the armed conflict as a mercenary from February to April 2023. Kalve is on a wanted list.