Your trusted source

Nadezhda Savchenko, an officer of Ukrainian Air Force detained in Russia in 2014, is guilty of murdering two Russian journalists near Lugansk and of illegally crossing the Russian border, Russian court ruled, Russia Today reports.

"Savchenko committed murder in collusion with a group of persons motivated by hatred and enmity,” the source is quoting the judge and adds that the court is due to read its verdict over two days on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the prosecutors, Savchenko was a gunner on an Aidar battalion helicopter and reported the location of the two Russian journalists, Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, to Kiev troops, who then shelled the area outside Lugansk.

The attack resulted in the deaths of the journalists and other civilians. After that Savchenko, allegedly illegally crossed the border into Russia, according to the source.

Nadezhda Savchenko denied all the allegations, claiming that she in fact helped evacuate the wounded from the field during the attack.

To remind, Savchenko’s detentian caused in international controversy.

As reported earlier, Members of the European Parliament had sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini offering to introduce personal sanctions against those involved in the imprisonment of Savchenko. Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first on the list of those suggested for sanctions.