MOSCOW: A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced two Russian servicemen captured last year to 14 years each in prison after finding them guilty of terrorism and waging a war in eastern Ukraine.

The ruling opened the door to a possible prisoner swap between the two countries.

Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, Moscow has denied sending troops to Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting government troops since April 2014. At least 9,100 people have been killed in the conflict, which has left large swathes of Ukraine’s industrial heartland in ruins.

Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev have acknowledged being Russian servicemen and said they were on a reconnaissance mission. Russia’s Defence Ministry, however, said they had resigned from active duty.

The court in Kiev convicted Alexandrov and Yerofeyev of terrorism and “waging a war of aggression” and sentenced them to 14 years each in prison.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2016