Engineer of Mykolaiv state enterprise sentenced for aiding the enemy

The court found guilty an engineer at the Mykolaiv-based state-owned enterprise Zorya Mashproekt who passed classified documents to the Russians. This is a long-term employee of the company who has worked there since the late 1980s and has held the position of leading design engineer since 2021.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv.

As the court found, the accused voluntarily cooperated with a representative of the Russian Federation, his former colleague, whom he had known since the early 2000s. After moving to Moscow, he worked in management positions in companies that repaired gas turbine equipment. Despite the war, the men continued to communicate on "business matters."

The case file states that in August 2022, the engineer entered into a criminal conspiracy and began collecting and transmitting electronic archives with technical and design documentation via the Telegram messenger. These were drawings, specifications and comparative characteristics of 25 MW gas turbine engines and their components, which are the property of a state-owned enterprise and constitute a trade secret.

The transfer of information continued in 2023-2024. The court recorded several episodes when the defendant sent large file archives with detailed drawings and descriptions of components and mechanisms, including equipment used in power and gas pumping plants, to his Russian contact. The recipient acknowledged receipt of the materials and requested new data to "update" the documentation.

During the trial, the engineer fully admitted his guilt, confirmed the facts of the information transfer and stated that he was aware that the documents belonged to Zorya-Mashproekt and their disclosure was prohibited. He explained his actions by the desire to "help with the repair of engines," and asked the court to take into account his age and health.

The court qualified the man's actions as aiding the aggressor state. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison with a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities, without confiscation of property.

Last year, a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for high treason in Mykolaiv. He passed on intelligence, including the coordinates of Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile systems, including foreign-made ones, as well as information about the consequences of Russian strikes on the military and infrastructure.

Анна Бальчінос