A Kropotkin resident was convicted as a participant in a protest movement*

A military court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Kropotkin resident Vladislav Suryadnov to a lengthy prison term, finding him a member of the Russian Volunteer Corps*.

The Southern District Military Court has been hearing the case of Vladislav Suryadnov, from the city of Kropotkin in Kuban since July 2025. The verdict was announced on March 5.

Suryadnov was charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist organization (Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code carries a sentence of ten to twenty years in prison) and with inciting terrorist activity (Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code carries a sentence of eight to fifteen years in prison).

According to the prosecution, Suryadnov, while in Kropotkin, "began to take part in the activities" of the RVC* in May 2023. From January to November 2024, he justified the group's activities in conversations with a man in Kropotkin, persuading him to also participate in the activities of the RDC*.

"In order to promote the activities of the RDC*, as well as to confirm his participation in such activities, Suryadnov acquired chevrons with the symbols of neo-Nazi organizations and Ukrainian flags, which he kept at his place of residence," according to a statement from the press service of the Southern District Military Court.

Security forces detained the young man on December 1, 2024. Two months prior, Suryadnov applied for a foreign passport but never received it. The prosecution believes that he applied for the passport "intending to travel to Ukraine to participate in combat operations as part of the RDC* against the Russian Armed Forces." The court's press service statement, however, makes no mention of Vladislav Suryadnov having any actual contact with representatives of the RDK* or any other Ukrainian branch. It also does not specify whether the defendant admitted to the charges.

The court sentenced Suryadnov to 14 years in a maximum-security penal colony, with the first three years to be served in prison. Caucasian Knot has not yet received any comment from Vladislav Suryadnov or his lawyer regarding the prosecution's case or plans to appeal the verdict.

Suryadnov, a native of Kropotkin, turned 25 in October, according to his entry in the Rosfinmonitoring register of terrorists and extremists. He was added to the list shortly after his arrest, on December 10, 2024, according to a Telegram bot tracking list updates.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that a military court in Rostov-on-Don in February sentenced Kuban resident Dmitry Khasyanov to six years in a maximum-security prison, after he filled out a "candidate for joining the RDC"* form.

* The organization is designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.