Mykolaiv Resident Faces 15 Years for Treason and Espionage Against Ukraine

The trial of a local resident accused of cooperating with Russian special services, providing information on the location of Ukrainian army units and calling for missile attacks on civilian targets continues in Mykolaiv. The defendant pleaded not guilty, explaining his actions as a joke.

This was reported by the press service of the Central Court of Mykolaiv.

The court continues to consider the case against a 46-year-old local resident who is accused of committing criminal offenses under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the case file, the accused provided representatives of the Russian Federation with information about the location of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and critical infrastructure facilities in the city for a monetary reward. He sent the coordinates, in particular, of a high-rise building that was not used for military purposes.

Two witnesses were interrogated during the trial. One of them said that the defendant claimed to be cooperating with Russian special services and also began to threaten her. The defendant pleaded not guilty, claiming that he had not received any reward and that it was all just a joke aimed at attracting attention.

He also explained that he had sent the coordinates of the residential building where his sister lived and called for a missile strike on it, explaining it as a quarrel with a relative. However, he did not take the possibility of an attack seriously. The defendant's term of detention was extended.

Recently, the court upheld the verdict and sentenced the 39-year-old resident of Mykolaiv region to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property for treason and dissemination of materials supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine. The defendant used Google Maps to create cartographic materials on which he marked important objects, including the location of the Defense Forces, checkpoints and critical infrastructure in Vradiyivka.

Additionally, a resident of Mykolaiv was sentenced to 12 years in prison for passing on information about the location of Ukrainian military to pro-Russian contacts, although he pleaded not guilty, claiming that the information was publicly available. And a resident of Pervomaisk was sentenced to 6 years in prison for justifying the war, calling for the overthrow of the government, and disseminating information about the movement of military equipment.

Анна Бальчінос