Supreme Court Confirms Life Sentence for Kramatorsk Resident Who Provided Data to Russian Military

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has made a significant ruling, confirming the life imprisonment sentence for Volodymyr Synelnyk, a resident of Kramatorsk. This decision comes in light of Synelnyk's actions that led to a missile strike by Russian military forces on a café, which tragically resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including the well-known Ukrainian author Viktoria Amelina, and left 64 others injured.

According to official information released by the Supreme Court, the judges supported the prosecutors' position and upheld the previous verdict without changes. It is important to note that Volodymyr Synelnyk had submitted a request at the beginning of last year, seeking to be transferred as a prisoner of war to Russia or to temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The tragic incident occurred on June 27, 2023, when Russian military forces launched a missile strike on the Ria Lounge Bar, located in the center of Kramatorsk. During the investigation, it was revealed that Synelnyk, driven by ideological motives, transmitted information via the messaging app Telegram about the presence of Ukrainian military personnel at the café at the request of an acquaintance who had ties to the occupying authorities.

The targeted strike resulted in casualties among both military personnel and civilians, including four children. Among the injured were three Colombian nationals who were part of a writers' delegation: Sergio Jaramillo, Hector Abad, and Catalina Gomez. They were in the company of Ukrainian writer Viktoria Amelina, who sustained severe injuries and, unfortunately, passed away a few days after the tragedy.

Volodymyr Synelnyk, who provided information to representatives of the enemy side, admitted his guilt in court but denied any intention to cause such consequences. However, the courts established that his actions were deliberate and directly contributed to the execution of the strike, which resulted in the death and injury of many people.

According to part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the accused was found guilty of treason, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. This verdict was confirmed by the Cassation Criminal Court as part of the Supreme Court.

Thus, the Supreme Court's decision marks an important step in holding individuals accountable for actions that led to tragic outcomes and underscores the seriousness of crimes related to treason in the context of war.