Russian Court Sentences One In Pro-Ukraine Stunt Case

A Soviet red star atop a Stalin-era skyscraper was painted in the yellow-and-blue colors of the Ukrainian flag.

MOSCOW -- A Moscow court on September 10 acquitted four people and found one guilty of hooliganism and vandalism for taking part in a pro-Ukraine stunt.

The five, including two women, went on trial on August 17.

They were accused of taking part in a stunt in which a Soviet red star atop a Stalin-era skyscraper was painted in the yellow-and-blue colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Four defendants were accused of drawing attention to the painted star and a Ukrainian flag hoisted from it by parachuting from the 176-meter building.

The fifth defendant, Vladimir Podrezov, was sentenced to 27 months in jail.

The court found Podrezov guilty of helping Ukrainian stunt daredevil Pavlo Ushyvets -- known by the nickname Mustang Wanted -- to paint the star and raise the flag.

Ushyvets, who is in Ukraine, has announced on Facebook that he carried out the stunt alone.