Any combatant committing crimes against civilians on Russian soil will be treated as a terrorist, the president has stated

Foreign mercenaries fighting for Kiev should be aware that they do not have the same legal protections under international law as regular Ukrainian combatants, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to the Kursk Region.

Speaking at a meeting with the Russian General Staff and military commanders on Wednesday, the president stated that any Ukrainian soldier or foreign mercenary captured on Russian soil should be "treated as a terrorist under Russian law."

"All people who commit crimes against the civilian population on the territory of the Kursk Region, confront our Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, are terrorists in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation," Putin said. "This is how the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee qualify their actions."

Putin emphasized that Russia "treats and will treat all people humanely," including prisoners of war (POWs), but specifically warned that mercenaries lack the same legal status as regular troops.

"I still want to remind you that foreign mercenaries are not protected by the 1949 Geneva Convention on POWs," the Russian leader said.

The Russian border region faced a major incursion by Kiev's forces in August 2024, and Moscow's troops have been gradually pushing them back in an operation that has intensified in recent weeks. In liberated areas, Russian investigators have found evidence of Ukrainian troops committing rape, torture, and murder against local civilians during the occupation.

Foreign mercenaries have also played an active role in Ukraine's incursions, according to Russian authorities, who have repeatedly warned that any troops supporting Kiev will be considered "legitimate targets."

Under the Third Geneva Convention, regular combatants fighting for a recognized party in a conflict are granted protections if captured by the opposing side. POW status guarantees them access to shelter, food, medical care, and protection from hostilities, as well as safeguards against violence, intimidation, and degrading treatment. They also cannot be prosecuted simply for taking part in hostilities, unless they have committed war crimes.

However, Article 47 of Additional Protocol I to the convention explicitly excludes mercenaries from being classified as regular combatants, meaning they are not entitled to POW status.

Russian authorities have consistently prosecuted foreign mercenaries fighting for Kiev. In January, a Russian court sentenced retired U.S. Army Ranger Patrick Creed to 13 years in prison for serving with Ukraine's armed forces between 2022 and 2023. In March, British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson was sentenced to 19 years behind bars by a Russian court after being convicted of crimes against civilians in the Kursk Region.