Russian Convicted in Taliban Attack to Be Sentenced Dec. 3

A former Russian military tank commander convicted of leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan is set to be sentenced in Virginia next month.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson set Irek Hamidullin's sentencing for Dec. 3 during a hearing Friday.

Hamudullin was convicted of 15 terror-related charges in August. Prosecutors say he's a Russian veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan who joined a Taliban affiliate and lead insurgents in a 2009 attack on Afghan border police and U.S. soldiers.

He was brought into the courtroom Friday in a wheelchair and spent much of the hearing with his head resting on his arms on the table. One of his attorneys told the judge that Hamidullin, who's Muslim, has been fasting.