Detention: On May 9, 2014, Hennadiy Afanasyev was detained by FSB officers in Simferopol on suspicion of involvement in a so-called 'sabotage-terrorist group' along with Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, and Oleksiy Chirniy. The investigation accused them of setting fire to the 'Russian Community of Crimea' building on April 14, 2014, and the local office of the 'United Russia' party on the night of April 18, as well as preparing to blow up the Lenin monument and the 'Eternal Flame' memorial.

Sentence: On December 24, 2014, Afanasyev was found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to 7 years in a high-security colony. On June 14, 2016, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, having spent 767 days in captivity.

Hennadiy Serhiyovych Afanasyev was born on November 8, 1990, in Simferopol. After earning a master's degree in law from Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University, he worked as a photographer for the American stock photography company Arteester.

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Afanasyev actively participated in pro-Ukrainian demonstrations in Simferopol, openly opposed the occupation, and recorded videos supporting the pro-Ukrainian movement. In FSB materials, he was identified as a member of the so-called 'Sentsov group,' though he and human rights defenders denied any involvement in sabotage. Hennadiy Afanasyev was a key witness for the prosecution in the case against Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko. During a court session on July 31, 2015, he officially retracted his previous testimony, stating it was given under severe torture and pressure from the Russian FSB.

In 2018, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Russia to compensate him for inhumane convoy conditions. After his release, he settled in Kyiv, as returning to his native Crimea became impossible. He spent several months in Prague for rehabilitation at the invitation of the Czech organization 'People in Need.'

After his release, Afanasyev became actively involved in human rights activities: he spoke on international platforms in defense of Crimean political prisoners and was appointed a special representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for the release of prisoners in August 2016. From 2016 to 2018, he was an author for the publication Krym.Realii and wrote the book 'Rising After the Fall.'

With the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Hennadiy Afanasyev voluntarily joined the 130th Territorial Defense Battalion of the 241st Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (call sign 'Thor'). He defended Kyiv and the region and later participated in combat operations in the east of the country. On December 18, 2022, he was killed in action near Bilohorivka in Luhansk region at the age of 32. On October 1, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree posthumously awarding Hennadiy Afanasyev the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Photo: Facebook page of Hennadiy Afanasyev.

Information sourced from open sources: Radio Liberty (Krym.Realii), Suspilne Crimea, NSJU, Hromadske Radio, Institute of Mass Information.

Update date: 03.07.2026.