Roman Ponomarenko
Roman Ponomarenko, born 1978, Occupied territory of Luhanska oblast. Charges: Article 205.3, Russian Criminal Code (Receiving training for the commission of terrorist crimes); Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in a terrorist community); “Roman Ponomarenko's case of involvement in the Donbass battalion”. Sentenced on October 22, 2024. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since March 1, 2024. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, June 15, 2025.
In brief
Occupied territory of Luhanska oblast · Former military personnel · Terrorism cases
Sentence
18 years
Imprisonment (strict regime)
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 205.3, Russian Criminal Code — Receiving training for the commission of terrorist crimes
- Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in a terrorist community
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, in 2020 Ponomarenko underwent training at the Desna centre in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, where he acquired knowledge, practical skills and abilities to handle weapons, explosive devices and explosives. He then joined the 46th separate battalion of the AFU special forces "Donbass", which the prosecution defined as a terrorist community, and served there from August 2020 to September 2021.
Latest event
June 15, 2025 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, June 15, 2025
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 18 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Roman Ponomarenko's case of involvement in the Donbass battalion
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Criminal case
Roman Ponomarenko's case of involvement in the Donbass battalion
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Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. In March 2024, he was detained and taken into custody as part of a case involving participation in a terrorist organization and undergoing training for the purpose of engaging in terrorist activity. The basis for the charges was his alleged service in the “Donbas” battalion during 2020–2021. On October 22, 2024, he was sentenced to 18 years in a strict-regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Ukraine
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.3, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.