Russia Sentences Hayden Davies to 13 Years After Capturing Him Fighting for Ukraine

A Russian-controlled court in occupied Donetsk on Dec. 18, 2025 sentenced British national Hayden Davies to 13 years in a maximum-security prison after finding him guilty of acting as a paid mercenary while fighting for Ukraine.

“Hayden Davies, originally from Southampton, is a former British soldier A Briton who fought in Ukraine has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security prison, the Russian Prosecutor-General's office has said”

BBC

Multiple outlets reported the verdict and sentence, noting the trial took place in territory Moscow occupies and that Russian criminal law was applied to the accused.

BBC

Russian prosecutors and the Donetsk court framed the conviction as punishment for joining and fighting with Ukraine's International Legion.

Russian authorities say Davies joined Ukraine’s International Legion after arriving in Ternopil in August 2024.

They say he received training and was captured during fighting in the Donbas in winter 2024 while allegedly carrying an American-made assault rifle and ammunition.

Daily Echo

Prosecutors and the Prosecutor-General’s office have publicly recounted those details.

Several outlets relayed the claim that he was found with U.S.-made weaponry when seized.

The reporting presents these as the prosecution’s account rather than independently verified facts.