Case on registration of Starlink for Russians in Izmail sent to court

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office has sent to court a case against a resident of Izmail charged with treason during martial law committed in collusion.

According to the press service of the prosecutor's office, the natives of Izmail: A 36-year-old man and his 28-year-old partner were opponents of Ukrainian statehood, wanted the occupation of Odesa region, and therefore decided to side with the enemy.

They began to communicate with a representative of the aggressor state on Telegram and in early February 2026 received a task to officially register Starlink satellite communication terminals in Ukraine for money.

The Izmail residents were sent four IP addresses via the messenger to register Internet access points. Then, according to the plan, they were to contact the local Administrative Services Center in Izmail to have the terminals whitelisted and verified.

Thus, representatives of the aggressor state planned to gain greater opportunities through network access to conduct subversive activities against the Ukrainian defense forces. The enemy estimated the registration of each such terminal at USD 30 as a reward for the work.

The two recruited Izmail residents also planned to involve two other acquaintances in the scheme. They were to register one terminal each for UAH 1,000, while the other two were to be registered by the defendant and his accomplice. While trying to implement their plan, the offenders were exposed and detained by SBU counterintelligence officers. At the time, the SBU stated that the Russians acted both directly against the SBU - placing ads with relevant requests for registration on the Internet - and resorted to manipulations. They also impersonate the Ukrainian military, which allegedly purchased Starlink at their own expense and are currently unable to register it, so they are asking Ukrainian citizens for help.

If found guilty of treason, the defendants face imprisonment for fifteen years or life with confiscation of property.

As of the beginning of June, according to the regional prosecutor's office, 17 residents of Odesa region have had the status of suspects in high treason since the beginning of 2026, 12 of whom are men aged 21 to 48, and five are women aged 28 to 60.

Кирило Бойко