A German court has sentenced a 58-year-old Russian citizen to life imprisonment for the murder of two Ukrainian soldiers in the town of Murnau, Bavaria, N-TV reported on 7 March.
The Munich II Regional Court also established “particularly severe guilt,” which practically rules out any possibility of early release for the defendant, according to a court spokesperson.
The two Ukrainian victims, aged 36 and 23, were receiving treatment for war injuries at a clinic in Murnau. The defendant confessed at the beginning of the murder trial in February that he had killed both men in late April 2024.
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According to court documents, the three men knew each other casually and frequently met to drink alcohol together, including on the day of the crime when they met in downtown Murnau.
Court finds no nationalist motive
The court stated that an argument broke out in which the 36-year-old Ukrainian allegedly severely insulted the 58-year-old Russian. In response, the Russian went to his apartment, retrieved a knife, and fatally stabbed the Ukrainian multiple times in the neck from behind, leaving the victim completely defenseless. To conceal the first crime, the defendant then stabbed a 23-year-old Ukrainian five times with force. After the murders, he took a detour back to his apartment, where he cleaned the knife and his blood-stained pants, according to the court ruling.
The prosecution had argued that the Russian acted out of extreme nationalism and hatred toward Ukrainians. However, the court did not find sufficient evidence of a political motive. Despite having different positions on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the three men had reportedly gotten along before the argument.
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The court ruled that the defendant was fully culpable despite his alcohol consumption, as he was accustomed to drinking. His guilt was deemed particularly severe because, rather than reacting immediately to an insult, he went home to arm himself before committing the crime. The court also cited two aggravating factors: treachery and the concealment of another crime. Furthermore, the defendant had a history of significant prior convictions and had been under supervisory release shortly before the offense.
The verdict is not yet legally binding and can still be appealed to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe.
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