15 Years for High Treason: Court Sentences Man for Passing Information on Ukrainian Military Aviation

The Berdychiv City District Court of Zhytomyr region has found a local resident guilty of high treason committed under martial law and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The conviction was issued under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which qualifies as a particularly serious crime.

Case details

According to the court, in 2025 the defendant, over several months, deliberately provided a representative of a foreign organization with information about the activity and movement of aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He conducted observations near his place of residence, located several десятків кілометрів from a military airfield. The man reportedly came to the attention of hostile intelligence services due to his activity in pro-Russian Telegram channels.

Key evidence in the case included correspondence via Telegram with a person who introduced himself as a representative of the FSB.

Defendant’s position

The defendant partially admitted guilt but claimed he did not realize he was communicating with a representative of the aggressor state and did not understand that his actions were unlawful.

 What’s next

The verdict has not yet entered into force and may be appealed within 30 days. Until then, the defendant will remain in custody.

Legal note

The court emphasized the principle of presumption of innocence: a person is considered innocent until a guilty verdict becomes final.