A mercenary from the United States who fought for the Armed Forces of Ukraine was sentenced in absentia in the DPR for 14 years.

The Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) sentenced Jake Logan Taylor, a mercenary from the United States with the call sign "Tango", who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), to 14 years in a high-security penal colony in absentia. This was announced on May 6 by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.

A 35-year-old US citizen was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict").

"The court sentenced Taylor in absentia to 14 years in prison to serve his sentence in a high—security penal colony," the agency's website says.

It was established that from June 2023 to February 2025, Taylor voluntarily joined the military unit of the "Chosen Company" from the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was paid more than 1.8 million rubles for his participation in the fighting. It is noted that the mercenary is a trained veteran of the US armed forces, but he came to Ukraine as an English teacher. Since Taylor had military service experience, he was appointed a platoon commander in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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On April 28, the DPR Supreme Court also sentenced Tobias Engqvist, a 28-year-old Swedish citizen, in absentia to 14 years in prison to serve his sentence in a high-security penal colony for mercenary activities and participation in hostilities on the side of Ukraine. From May 2022 to February 2025, the militant stayed in Ukraine through Poland. The mercenary received more than 5.4 million rubles for his participation in the armed conflict.