Putin could not forgive the leader of the 2014 armed revolt in Ukraine for criticism against the Kremlin.

The former "defense minister” of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), Igor Girkin (codenamed "Strelkov" or Shooter), has been sentenced to four years in prison for online calls for extremist action. The Moscow city court also banned him from managing internet resources for three years, according to Russian Telegram channels.

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The former commander of Donetsk separatists, a reserve colonel of the Russian Federal Security Service, was arrested in July 2023, and held in pre-trial detention for two critical posts in a Telegram channel.

One of them contained the phrase "Shooting is not enough for this" – referring to officials who, according to Girkin, blocked the payment of financial benefits to war veterans. Prosecutors described it as an incitement to extremism.

While in custody, Igor Girkin announced his candidacy for the presidency of Russia, but his supporters failed to hold a meeting to formally nominate him. No notary official agreed to witness the event and certify the decision.

In 2014, Girkin led a group of Russian provocateurs and armed agents, as well as local separatists, in capturing the city of Slovyansk in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, marking the beginning of hostilities in the Donbas. Later, he fell out of favor with the Russian authorities due to criticism of the military leadership and President Vladimir Putin over the poor management of the war.

Last year, Girkin was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for his role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH17 in 2014 over the Donbas skies. Girkin had refused to testify in court but denied any guilt.

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