Following a trial in central Ukraine, two Russian soldiers were sentenced to more than 11 years in prison on Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian news agency Interfax.

The decision in the Poltava area comes only one week after another court in Kyiv sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison in the country’s first legal reckoning with Russia’s invasion.

The servicemen, Alexander Bobykin and Alexander Ivanov, were both sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison for “violating the rules and customs of war” in the early days of Moscow’s invasion.

They were found guilty in the early days of the war of launching Grad rockets on two villages in the northern Kharkiv area.

Read More: More than 4,000 civilians killed during war in Ukraine

According to Interfax, both suspects had previously pled guilty.

It stated that their legal defence had asked for a moderate penalty, stating that the troops were only obeying orders and operating under pressure.

The judgments handed out against the Russian military this month are anticipated to be the first in a series of trials.

Ukraine claims to have initiated hundreds of war crimes investigations since Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched his forces.

Human rights organizations have expressed optimism that the trials of Russian servicemen in Ukraine will be fair and open.

After the conviction in Kyiv of 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin, the Kremlin said it had not received any information about his case while his trial was underway.

Ukrainian lawyers representing the Russian servicemen say they have not been in contact with legal or military officials in Moscow.

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