Mobilized man with disability sentenced to life in prison for shooting two instructors in Chernihiv

A verdict has been handed down in Chernihiv against 27-year-old Bohdan Koshel, who was mobilized into the Ukrainian Armed Forces: the court sentenced him to life imprisonment for shooting two instructors at a training center in July 2025.

The convict’s mother claims her son has mental disorders. His lawyer stated that Koshel had previously received social assistance as a person with a third-group disability from childhood.

The convict himself gave an ambiguous assessment of his condition in court:

“I consider myself sane, of course. And mentally ill, possibly a little,” — Koshel said.

In court, Koshel explained his motive for the crime: the instructors had been calling him an “FSB agent.” According to him, after the war began he had wanted to go to Russia to avoid mobilization, which led his fellow servicemen to believe he had been recruited by Russian intelligence services. Koshel himself denies any ties to Russia.

According to the convict’s testimony, he had initially intended to shoot himself, but ultimately decided to shoot the instructors first and then take his own life. He was unable to carry out the plan in full: Koshel was disarmed.