Ukraine Captures 2 Russian Soldiers

The Ukrainian government has said that it will charge recently captured Russian soldiers in its custody with terrorism offenses that could result in sentences of life in prison.

The Guardian reports the two soldiers were apprehended in the government controlled town of Shchastya. The soldiers were part of a 14 man reconnaissance mission and are said to be members of the Third Brigade of Russia's special operations forces.

The two men were captured after the Russian group came upon Ukraine's 92 Brigade Sat. May 16, and a firefight ensued. After the smoke had settled, one Ukrainian soldier was dead and another wounded. The two Russian captives were injured in the fighting.

In an interview from his hospital bed, one of the injured Russians identified himself as Sergeant Alexander Alexandrov. He said that he had been in Ukraine since March and named other Russian soldiers he said were a part of his unit. The other soldier has been identified as Yevegeny Yerofeyev.

The fact that Alexandrov has admitted to being a Russian soldier will make it all the more difficult for the Russian government to deny that it is not deploying its military assets in eastern Ukraine. Russia has consistently said it is not involved in the Ukrainian conflict.

It is unclear what this development means for the Minsk ceasefire, which has held for the most part, with occasional violations by both sides. More than 6,000 people are said to have died in the fighting, while thousands more have been displaced.

A Ukrainian parliamentarian has suggested swapping the Russian soldiers for 400 Ukrainian soldiers in rebel custody, but it is unclear if Russia is amenable to such an agreement.