Arrest: On November 9, 2016, Dmytro Shtyblikov was detained by FSB officers in Sevastopol. Along with him, Oleksiy Bessarabov and Volodymyr Dudka were also detained. The Russian side claimed that the men were allegedly part of a 'sabotage-terrorist group' of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and were preparing sabotage in occupied Crimea. Shtyblikov was held in custody in connection with this case since November 2016.

Sentence: On November 16, 2017, the occupation 'Sevastopol City Court' sentenced Dmytro Shtyblikov to 5 years in a strict regime colony and a fine of 200,000 rubles. After serving this sentence, a new case was opened against him under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – 'state treason'. On April 27, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation sentenced him to 19 years and 6 months of imprisonment, a fine of 200,000 rubles, and one year of restricted freedom after release. On November 9, 2022, the Military Court of Appeal upheld the sentence.

Dmytro Anatoliyovych Shtyblikov was born on November 8, 1970, in Zabaykalsky Krai. He lived in Crimea from childhood, particularly in Yevpatoria. After finishing school, he received a military education at the Kyiv Higher Combined Arms Command School and served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2003, he was discharged due to a severe injury.

After completing his military service, Shtyblikov worked in Sevastopol at the Center for Assistance in Studying Geopolitical Problems and Euro-Atlantic Cooperation of the Black Sea Region 'Nomos'. He focused on geopolitical and security issues of the Black Sea region, worked as an analyst and military expert, and was deputy editor-in-chief of the publication 'Black Sea Security'. He published materials in Ukrainian, Russian, and Western publications, researched international legal aspects of combating terrorism, and participated in professional conferences.

After the beginning of the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, Dmytro remained on the peninsula. His professional activities were related to analyzing the security and geopolitical situation in the Black Sea region.
On November 9, 2016, Russian security forces detained Dmytro in Sevastopol. His wife Olena was also detained and interrogated. For several days, Shtyblikov's whereabouts remained unknown. Later, the FSB claimed his alleged involvement in a 'sabotage-terrorist group' and preparation of sabotage on military infrastructure and life-support facilities in Sevastopol.

Ukrainian human rights organizations consider the case politically motivated and fabricated.
In May 2017, Dmytro entered a pre-trial agreement with the investigation and pleaded guilty. According to ZMINA and Suspilne Crimea, he did so under duress and threats against family members. His case was considered in a special procedure, without a full examination of evidence of guilt. On November 16, 2017, he was sentenced to five years in a strict regime colony and a fine.

In 2020, the FSB initiated a new criminal case against Shtyblikov under the article on 'state treason'. On November 8, 2021, when he was supposed to complete his first sentence, he was not released: on the same day, he was transferred from the FSB pre-trial detention center 'Lefortovo' to Rostov-on-Don for the consideration of the new case.
On April 27, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Dmytro Shtyblikov to 19 years and 6 months of imprisonment, a fine, and restricted freedom after release. The previous term was credited towards the sentence. On November 9, 2022, the appellate court left the decision unchanged.
After the second sentence, Dmytro was transferred to correctional colony No. 6 in the Omsk region. According to human rights defenders, he spent a long time in a cell-type facility, effectively in isolation. His phone contacts and family visits were restricted. Due to the conditions of detention, his health deteriorated: he developed vision problems, hypertension, and his dental health worsened.

In May 2026, ZMINA reported that Shtyblikov was transferred from the cell-type facility, where he had been for almost seven years, to the strict conditions section of colony No. 6 in the Omsk region. According to his daughter, the medications sent by the family were not given to him, and chronic diseases worsened. Communication with the family also became much rarer: only one letter was received in a month and a half.

As of September 14, 2026, Dmytro Shtyblikov continues to be held in FKU IK No. 6 in the Omsk region of the Russian Federation. The latest available authorized sources confirm his presence there.
Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Suspilne Crimea, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date of update: 14.09.2026.