Russian-controlled court sentences Polish citizen to 13 years for fighting for Ukraine
A court in the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” sentenced Polish citizen Krzysztof Flaczek to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony after convicting him of mercenary service on the side of Ukraine, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Thursday, as reported by independent Russian media outlets Mediazona and Insider.
According to the charges, the 47-year-old Flaczek arrived in Ukraine in September 2024, underwent military training and allegedly fought for money against Russian troops and civilians in the so-called “L/DPR.” He was captured by Russian forces near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast in November 2024.
Earlier, Russian propaganda outlets had portrayed Flaczek differently. State news agency RIA Novosti aired several videos in which he complained about inadequate training in the Ukrainian army, urged fellow Poles not to fight for Ukraine, and claimed there were “good people” on the Russian side with “no reason” for Poles to fight them. In one clip he said he joined the war because he had fallen in love with a Ukrainian woman and “wanted to be a hero for her.”
The last such video from RIA Novosti appeared in August 2025. After that, Flaczek disappeared from Russian propaganda until the announcement of his sentencing. Notably, recent official reports and even RIA Novosti coverage of the verdict make no mention of his alleged defection to a Russian-aligned Maksim Krivonos battalion.
Insider suggested the earlier narrative may have been deliberate disinformation aimed at discrediting Flaczek for propaganda purposes.