A military court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, sentenced an unnamed resident of Ukraine’s Lugansk region to 16 years in prison for “high treason” on Friday. The sentence was handed down after prosecutors accused the man of providing information about Russian armed forces to Ukraine’s security services.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that the individual was found guilty of state treason, aiding terrorist activities, and illegally handling explosives. As part of the sentence, the accused will serve his time in a high-security penal colony.
The sentencing comes amid heightened tensions, as President Vladimir Putin has urged Russian security services to adopt “tough” anti-terror measures. In particular, Putin has called for intensified efforts to identify spies and traitors, especially as Russia’s offensive in Ukraine enters its third year.
The FSB released a video of the man’s arrest, showing officers detaining him, throwing him to the ground, and taking him into custody. The video, which blurred the man’s face, showed him confessing to being recruited by Ukraine’s SBU security service in 2016.
Russia has frequently used confession videos as evidence after arresting individuals accused of espionage or treason.
In a separate incident, independent Russian media reported that Roman Shved, a 39-year-old anarchist sentenced to 16 years for an arson attack on a government building, died by suicide in a Rostov detention centre shortly after his sentencing. This tragic event follows a pattern of arrests and prosecutions of individuals in Russia opposing the Ukraine conflict.
