In the Odesa region, a sergeant, a sailor, and their accomplice were sentenced to 15 years and life in prison

Three residents of the Odesa region were sentenced for passing information about Ukrainian military facilities to Russian intelligence. Among them are a former military servicemember who organized the group, a current military servicemember, and a woman.

The sentences were handed down by the Dobroslav District Court of Odessa Oblast. The court found all three guilty of treason.

According to the case file, the former servicemember organized a group and established contact with a representative of the Russian intelligence service via Telegram. He agreed to carry out the representative’s tasks for money and later recruited the active-duty servicemember and the woman to join the operation.

The court found that the participants had assigned roles and followed the rules of secrecy. They gathered information at the request of the representative of the Russian intelligence service and received money in return.

The participants photographed military facilities, equipment, and air defense systems and transmitted their coordinates. Among the assignments were gathering data on military facilities in Odesa, the Odesa TV tower, and train movements within the Odesa Commercial Sea Port.

For one of the assignments, the former servicemember received $300. From this amount, he transferred 4,000 hryvnias each to the active-duty servicemember and the woman.

All three were detained on June 17, 2024. During the investigation, law enforcement officers found photographs of military facilities, coordinates, and correspondence on their phones. The court also reviewed evidence from covert investigative operations, which confirmed the participants’ contacts with a representative of the Russian intelligence service.

In court, the former military servicemember pleaded guilty and stated that he agreed to cooperate because he needed money. The active-duty servicemember also pleaded guilty but denied that he had sought contact with the Russian intelligence service on his own initiative. The woman did not admit guilt and claimed that she was unaware of the true purpose of the trips and the photography.

The court rejected their explanations and found all three guilty based on the evidence.

The court sentenced the former servicemember to life in prison with forfeiture of property and stripped him of his military rank of “master sergeant.” The active-duty servicemember and the woman each received 15-year prison terms with forfeiture of property. The servicemember was also stripped of his rank of “senior sailor.”

For all three, the time spent in custody since June 17, 2024, was credited toward their sentences. They will remain in custody until the verdict becomes final. The verdict may be appealed within 30 days.

Ірина Глухова