The Sarny District Court of Rivne Region found 37-year-old Leonid Vakulko guilty of desecrating the graves of servicemen. According to the verdict of January 21, the man stole artillery shells that were used as flower vases and sold them. The court sentenced him to five years in prison for the crime.
According to the investigation, in February 2025, Vakulko stole shell casings from three graves in the village of Nemovichi, Sarny District. The crime was reported by relatives of the deceased defenders.
Law enforcement officers quickly identified the perpetrator. He turned out to be a Sarnen resident previously convicted of crimes of profiteering. He cleaned the stolen cartridges of paint and sold them to local residents.
The accused pleaded guilty and repented of his actions, but the court took into account the recidivism of crimes when determining the sentence. Judge Yuriy Berezen found Vakulko guilty under Part 3 of Article 297 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (desecration of a grave for selfish motives) and sentenced him to 4.5 years in prison. The unserved sentence under the previous sentence was partially added to this, as a result, the final term was five years.
The verdict can still be appealed.
