ROSTOV-ON-DON, September 5. /TASS/. The Southern District Military Court of Russia will hear the criminal case of five foreign mercenaries without the presence of the defendants, nationals of Sweden, Croatia and three UK nationals, who fought in the Azov nationalist battalion (deemed terrorist, outlawed in Russia) and other Ukrainian militias, a court representative told TASS.

"Based on the prosecutor’s response regarding the defendants’ location, a decision was made to review the case in absentia," the representative said.

In late May, the court approved the state prosecutor’s motion to send an inquiry to the Russian Defense Ministry regarding the location of the five Azov mercenaries.

The five mercenaries - Swedish national Mathias Gustafsson, Croatian national Vjekoslav Prebeg and British citizens John Harding, Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy, charged with undergoing training for terrorist activities and mercenarism, were captured in Mariupol, including inside the Azovstal metal plant.