A Ukrainian woman and her husband were convicted in Russia for making donations to the Ukrainian Armed Forces

In Russia, a court has handed down harsh sentences to two people accused of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including a Ukrainian citizen who lived in Moscow. Both were sentenced to lengthy prison terms and fines, and the charges relate to money transfers that investigators link to aid for the Ukrainian army, according to Russian media reports.

The Murmansk Regional Court sentenced Vladimir Grabovetsky, a resident of Severomorsk, to 14 years in a penal colony, and Ukrainian citizen Polina Kuzmina to 12 years in a penal colony. Grabovetsky was found guilty of treason, and Kuzmina of aiding and abetting treason. In addition to their prison terms, they were also fined 450,000 and 400,000 rubles, respectively.

According to the investigation, Grabovetsky allegedly opposed Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and developed a plan to provide financial assistance to Ukrainian entities, enlisting Kuzmina to facilitate the transfers, as she was able to send funds through relatives. In total, it is claimed that 78 transfers were made between December 2022 and May 2024.

Russian materials note that this money could have been used to purchase technology, equipment, drones, and vehicles for Ukrainian forces. At the same time, the position of the defendants themselves regarding the charges is not cited in open sources.

Human rights activists from the “First Division” project previously reported that 2025 set a record in Russia for the number of convictions in cases of treason, espionage, and collaboration with foreign entities—468 people were convicted that year, with not a single acquittal recorded.