Separatist and militant Herman Prokopiv has been sentenced to 8 years in prison.

The court sentenced Li Won Chol, a citizen of Ukraine of Korean descent known by the alias Herman Prokopiv, to eight years in prison. The convicted individual was one of the leaders of the separatist group "Luhansk Guard," which seized buildings of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Luhansk Regional State Administration (LODA), carried out pro-Russian uprisings, and fought against Ukrainian forces, reported the press service of the Luhansk Regional Prosecutor's Office on January 7.

Prosecutors proved that in April 2014, Won Chol, along with like-minded individuals, organized a rally in central Luhansk in support of the Russian Federation.

He also participated in the seizure of the SBU building in the Luhansk region. Together with other criminals, Prokopiv raised Russian and so-called "LPR" flags on the roof of the building. From there, they stole firearms, ammunition, explosives, and devices.

Later, the convicted individual also seized the buildings of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, the prosecutor's office, and the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Luhansk region, raising Russian tricolor flags on them.

In early May 2014, Herman Prokopiv voluntarily joined the illegal armed formation "Cossack National Guard of the All-Great Don Army named after Platov" as a shooter.

From summer to October 2014, the convicted man participated in combat clashes with Ukrainian troops in the areas of Stanytsia Luhanska, Mykolaivka, Pionerske in the Luhansk region, and near "Luhansk" airport.

The court found Li Won Chol guilty on several counts of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including participation in the activities of an unlawful armed formation, theft of firearms, ammunition, explosives, explosive devices committed by a group of individuals in collusion, and seizure of state buildings and structures (part 2 of article 260, part 2 of article 262, article 341 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

The man fully admitted his guilt in committing the crimes. He is currently serving the sentence imposed by the court.

It is worth noting that in November 2024, the SBU reported suspicion of treason, encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as participation in unlawful armed formations against a separatist and Russian militant, Herman Prokopiv. In October 2024, Ukrainian defenders captured him in the area of Spirne in Donetsk region.