A Briton accused of mercenary activity in Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in detention in Russia after fighting on the side of Ukraine.

Hayden Davies, a British citizen in his 30s, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in a maximum-security detention center in Russia, having been found guilty of mercenary activity. According to Russian prosecutors, he arrived in Ukraine in August 2024, where he signed a contract to fight in the International Legion for the defense of Ukraine.

Davies received military training and fought against the Russian army in the Donetsk region. Captured by Russian forces in the winter of 2024, he was found in possession of an American assault rifle and ammunition. The court in Donetsk, controlled by Russia, issued the sentence but did not specify how Davies pleaded. This conviction highlights the tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the context of the ongoing military conflict.