February 28, 2026

Lawyer Convicted for Bucha Massacre Comments


Lawyer Convicted for Bucha Massacre Comments
Lawyer Nikolai Polozov. SOTAvision, Telegram.

On February 20, a lawyer notorious for representing opposition figures and Ukrainian prisoners of war was sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison. The attorney was convicted of distributing "fake" news in an interview where he condemned the Russian military's civilian executions during the Bucha massacre of 2022.

Nikolai Polozov made a name for himself by representing President Putin's critics, including Alexey Navalny and Sergey Udaltsov, Ukrainian politician Nadezhda Sabchenko, and Crimean-Tatar activists in Russian courts. In 2018, the attorney defended a marine arrested on a Ukrainian navy ship attempting to cross the Kerch Strait. In 2022, Polozov launched "Poshuk. Polon" (Search. Captivity), a project that helps find Ukrainians captured by Russia and offers them legal assistance.

Polozov gave an interview on the YouTube show Utro Febralya (February's Morning), where he condemned the Russian military's actions during the Bucha massacre. In July 2025, authorities opened a criminal case against him for "discrediting" and distributing "fake" news about the Russian army. However, Polozov faced harassment from the courts even before his conviction. In December 2024, he was declared a "foreign agent." In January 2025, a Moscow court fined him over anti-war comments. In June 2025, he was fined for failing to add a "foreign agent" disclaimer on a Telegram post. On July 4, a few days before a criminal investigation was opened against Polozov, law enforcement placed him on a wanted list.

Polozov has been in exile since 2022.

 

You Might Also Like

War is Hell
  • February 22, 2026

War is Hell

Statistics from the four years of Russia's horrific War on Ukraine that deserve to be better known.
Past Reframed, Narrative Reset
  • February 24, 2026

Past Reframed, Narrative Reset

A Moscow museum dedicated to victims of Soviet repression will be replaced by a new institution focused on what officials call "genocide of the Soviet people" during World War II.
No Butterfingers Here
  • February 22, 2026

No Butterfingers Here

A 19-year-old St. Petersburg student has set a new record for the number of blini cooked in an hour.
Elite Children Profit from War
  • February 19, 2026

Elite Children Profit from War

In over three years of full-scale invasion, the children of Russia's political elite amassed billions of rubles thanks to the country’s high-interest key rate.
Dual Nationals Are Traitors, Again
  • February 20, 2026

Dual Nationals Are Traitors, Again

Russian authorities plan to crack down on dual citizens, adding penalties for those who fail to disclose a second passport.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955