A separatist rebel leader in Ukraine who called Putin cowardly is sentenced to 4 years in prison

Published January 25, 2024 4:19 AM

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The Moscow City Court has convicted a former Ukraine rebel leader who called President Vladimir Putin cowardly of extremism and sentenced him to four years in prison. Igor Girkin was the most prominent leader of Russian-backed separatist fighters in Ukraine’s Donetsk region in 2014, when rebellion arose after the ouster of Ukraine’s Russia-allied president. He returned to Russia and became a nationalist commentator and activist. He supported launching Russia’s war in Ukraine, but sharply criticized authorities for being inept and indecisive in carrying out the fight.

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