Russian actor Kirill Kanakhin, who is now defending Ukraine, was sentenced to life in prison in Russia: what is known

Former actor of the Academic Maly Theater of Russia, star of the TV series Glukhar and the movie Nobody Knows About Sex 2 with Ksenia Sobchak, Kirill Kanakhin, left his homeland after the full-scale invasion and joined the ranks of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), which is fighting on the side of Ukraine against the occupiers. On February 26, a Russian court sentenced the star to life in prison in absentia in a "high treason" case over an "attack" on the Bryansk region in early March 2023.

The trial is being held in open court, as there are no classified materials in the criminal case. This is reported by propaganda media.

According to the prosecution, Kanakhin "attacked" the village of Lyubechany in the Bryansk region as part of the RDC on March 2, 2023. The "saboteurs" who infiltrated the Russian settlement allegedly killed two local residents and injured a 10-year-old boy. There is no independent confirmation that the killings were carried out by RVC fighters.

The prosecutor's office requested that Kanakhin be sentenced to life imprisonment.

As a reminder, back in March 2023, the Kremlin claimed that a "Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage group" had allegedly infiltrated the Bryansk region, but later the RVC fighters posted a video from the village of Lyubechany, where the "sabotage" took place, and claimed to take full responsibility. The Russian military, which is fighting for Ukraine, emphasized that the "volunteer corps" crossed the Russian state border to demonstrate that "Russian people with weapons in their hands can fight the regime."

Kirill Kanakhin was born in Moscow. In the Russian capital, he worked in the theater and acted in films and TV series, where he played mostly minor or cameo roles. He is also a poet and worked as a yoga teacher. After February 24, 2022, he left Russia and decided to defend Ukraine, joining the ranks of the Russian Volunteer Corps.

The RVC is a military unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, formed in August 2022 from ethnic Russians living in the territory of the European Union and Ukraine, to protect Ukraine from Russian invasion during the Russian-Ukrainian war. It is a part of the International Legion of the TRO of Ukraine.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that a Russian court arrested the famous Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar origin Jamala in absentia for spreading "fakes" about the Russian army, which in the civilized world is called the truth about the crimes of the occupiers. The People's Artist has already reacted to her new "status". She honestly admitted that she was somewhat concerned about her safety. 

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!