Detention: On October 11, 2024, FSB officers detained Vladyslav Oleksandrovych Afanasyev in Feodosia, temporarily occupied Crimea. According to Russian investigators, he allegedly photographed Russian Black Sea Fleet ships, recorded locations of military objects, and transmitted this data to the Ukrainian side. He was charged under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code ('state treason'). Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasized that the case is politically motivated and exemplifies the persecution of Crimean residents for pro-Ukrainian positions.

Sentence: On December 6, 2024, the occupation Supreme Court of Crimea found Vladyslav Afanasyev guilty of 'state treason' and sentenced him to 15 years in a high-security colony. He was also given a year of restricted freedom after release. In March 2025, the appellate court upheld the sentence. Human rights defenders stated that the sentence violates international law, and the criminal prosecution is unlawful.

Vladyslav Vasylovych Afanasyev was born on December 17, 1993, in Feodosia. Before his arrest, he lived and worked in his hometown. There is little information about his profession or personal life in open sources. Relatives and human rights defenders deliberately withhold these details to protect his family from potential pressure by the occupation authorities.

After the full-scale Russian invasion, control over Crimean residents intensified significantly. According to the occupation investigation, Vladyslav allegedly photographed Russian military ships and other military objects, then transmitted the collected information to the Ukrainian side. The trial was held behind closed doors, so the defense's position was scarcely covered in open sources. Meanwhile, Ukrainian human rights defenders repeatedly emphasized that the 'state treason' article is increasingly used by Russia to persecute Crimean residents who do not support the occupation or maintain a pro-Ukrainian stance.

After his detention, Vladyslav Afanasyev was placed in a pre-trial detention center in occupied Crimea. Throughout the investigation, the case was considered in a closed regime. Russian security forces claimed that he allegedly transmitted information about the location of military objects and Black Sea Fleet ships to the Ukrainian side. It was impossible to independently verify these claims as the case materials were not open to the public.

On December 6, 2024, the occupation Supreme Court of Crimea found Vladyslav Afanasyev guilty of 'state treason' and sentenced him to 15 years in a high-security colony. In addition to the main sentence, the court imposed another year of restricted freedom after release. By March 2025, the appellate instance left the sentence unchanged.

Ukrainian human rights organizations noted that after the full-scale invasion, Russia increasingly uses the state treason article to persecute residents of occupied territories. In their view, such cases are often considered without proper guarantees of a fair trial, and the proceedings occur behind closed doors, making independent public oversight impossible.

There is currently no reliable information in open sources about Vladyslav's health status, place of detention, or conditions of his confinement. Therefore, human rights defenders continue to monitor his case and call on international organizations to pay attention to the fate of Ukrainian citizens whom Russia has unlawfully imprisoned in occupied territories.

As of July 5, 2026, Vladyslav Afanasyev remains in Russian detention. Ukrainian state institutions and human rights organizations include him in lists of Ukrainian citizens unlawfully detained by Russia for political reasons and continue to demand his release.

Information used from open sources: Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, CrimeaSOS, ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, Ukrinform, Radio Liberty.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Suspilne Crimea.

Date updated: 07/05/2026.