DONETSK: Ukrainian pilot and lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko went on trial in Russia on Thursday in a politically charged case that could send ties between Moscow and Kiev to a new low.
The 34-year-old helicopter navigator faces up to 25 years in prison for her alleged involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists in war-torn eastern Ukraine last year.
Savchenko, who is seen by her compatriots as a symbol of resistance against what most Ukrainians consider an insurgency fueled by President Vladimir Putin’s government, has denied any involvement.
After more than a year in detention, Savchenko was in the dock in the small southern Russian town of Donetsk on the border with eastern Ukraine.
Her lawyers say the authorities opted to try their client outside Moscow in violation of legal procedures and say the choice of venue was aimed at shielding the hearings from the public eye.
There was a heavy police presence for the trial, which started with a closed preliminary hearing.
Russia opens trial against Ukrainian aviator
Russia opens trial against Ukrainian aviator
