Irishman who fought for Ukraine sentenced to 14 years in prison by Russian authorities

Darragh Mc Donagh

A 22-year-old soldier from Drogheda who fought for Ukraine in Donetsk has been sentenced by the Russian authorities to 14 years imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony.

Tiernan O’Donovan, who allegedly travelled to Ukraine and joined the Chosen Company of international volunteers in 2023, was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) earlier this week.

He was found guilty under Article 359 of the Russian Criminal Code, which relates to the participation of a mercenary in armed conflicts or military actions, and carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

O’Donovan had been accused of taking part in military operations against Russian forces near the village of Pervomaiske in Donetsk with the Chosen Company, and a reward of nearly €22,000 has been offered for his capture.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that he had arrived in Ukraine in June 2023 before undergoing training and fighting against Russian forces until the spring of 2025.

It claimed that Mr O’Donovan had been paid more than two million rubles (€21,875) by the Ukrainian military authorities. The prosecutor also claimed that he had “actively advertised his crimes” on social media.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the DPR found him guilty of the charge and sentenced him in absentia to 14 years imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony, according to a statement from the Russian Prosecutor’s Office.

It added that Mr O’Donovan, who allegedly used the callsign ‘The Irishman’, remains on the international wanted list.

The Chosen Company is a volunteer unit under the command of another Irishman, Ryan O’Leary, which has been fighting for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

It was previously reported that the unit had volunteers from more than 31 countries, but the majority of its soldiers were US citizens.