Russian Court Convicts Four Soldiers in Killing of American in Donbas

A Russian military court has sentenced four soldiers to prison for the murder of an American citizen in Russian-occupied Ukraine. The victim was identified as 64-year-old Russell Bonner Bentley III. Bentley was living in the Donbas region when he died in April. Investigators stated that the soldiers detained him on suspicion of being an American saboteur. The soldiers then beat and tortured Bentley, which led to his death. The court found the four service members guilty of murder and other crimes. The sentences, handed down by the 1st Western District Military Court, range from 12 to 14 years in a maximum-security penal colony. The court did not release the full names of the convicted soldiers.