MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax) - A court in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has sentenced U.S. citizen Mark William Ellerbrook to 14 years in a penitentiary for serving as a mercenary.
"The court has sentenced Ellerbrook in absentia to 14 years in a high-security penitentiary and confiscation of assets with a value equal to his remuneration," the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said on Thursday.
The Russian Investigative Committee said for its part that Ellerbrook was found guilty of serving as a mercenary in an armed conflict.
In 2022, Ellerbrook "traveled to Ukrainian territory to take part in the hostilities on the side of Ukrainian forces in exchange for remuneration," investigators said.
"He joined the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade [...] of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a mercenary. Later on, Ellerbrook was given training and provided with a personal weapon, ammunition, a uniform, and special gear. Between March 2022 and June 2023, Ellerbrook took part in the hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces against troops of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the Russian Armed Forces in exchange for systematic remuneration," the committee said.