Russia jails an IT worker for 13 years over donations to Ukraine

Sentence

13 years

A Russian military court convicted Yuri Belenkiy, 49, of financing terrorism, with three years in prison followed by 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony.

The court said he made 15 cryptocurrency transfers worth over 120,000 roubles to fund Ukraine's armed forces. He denied the charges, and his defence will appeal.

Documents show the exchange Binance gave Russian investigators his transaction history, which a rights lawyer called key evidence. Binance says it does not comment on individual cases.

Treason and espionage charges, 2025

10 % tied to Ukraine donations

A rights group says about 10 per cent of treason and espionage charges in 2025 were linked to donations to Ukrainian organizations.