A Russian court has sentenced a man to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of sending cryptocurrency to the Ukrainian military. According to a report from TASS, a state-run news agency, the individual is from Oryol Oblast, located about 370 kilometers south of Moscow. The court was informed that the man used cryptocurrency to transfer money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on multiple occasions.
The unnamed man faced treason-related charges, brought by the Federal Security Service (FSB), which has been intensifying its crackdown on Russian supporters of Ukraine’s military forces. The FSB likely employs various blockchain analytics tools to monitor individual crypto users, tools which were first implemented by Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service in early 2023.
Additionally, the court imposed a 500,000 ruble fine (approximately $6,000) on the man. The FSB’s press service accused him of being part of Telegram channels run by “Ukrainian terrorist organizations.” The agency reported that the funds were used to purchase drones, weapons, ammunition, and tactical equipment for the Ukrainian army to aid in military operations against the Russian Armed Forces. The man was convicted of “high treason” and “assisting a terrorist activity,” violating the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A video released by the FSB includes a “confession” from the man, where he admits to sending crypto assets to groups supporting Ukraine.
In recent months, the FSB has conducted several similar arrests, including a case in Nizhny Novgorod where a man was accused of sending crypto to Ukraine-based militants. The agency reported that these funds were used to purchase drones.
The FSB also made an arrest on March 19 in Krasnodar Krai of a man accused of providing the Ukrainian special services with information about a Russian military facility. According to another TASS report, the man allegedly contacted representatives of the Ukrainian army to disclose the location of the facility near his home.
The FSB claims that Ukraine’s military uses Russian crypto donations to acquire unmanned thermal imaging sights, aircraft, ammunition, and uniforms. Other individuals facing similar charges include a Moscow-based scientist and a resident of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia’s Far East.
### Twitter Updates
– Steve Witkoff, White House special envoy to the Middle East, states that a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is “likely to happen,” and suggests a full ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could be reached in a couple of weeks.
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