Detention: In February 2024, Russian security forces detained Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Bodnar in occupied Crimea. He became the third figure in a case where the Russian side claimed an alleged plot to assassinate the Russian-appointed 'head' of occupied Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov. Alongside Bodnar, Volodymyr Ananyev and Oksana Shevchenko were also implicated. It is not possible to independently verify the Russian investigation's claims regarding the case circumstances.

Sentence: On June 23, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced 51-year-old Volodymyr Bodnar to 13 years of imprisonment. The first three years are to be served in prison, followed by ten years in a strict regime colony. The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles. The Russian side found him guilty of preparing for a terrorist act and illegal handling of explosives.

Volodymyr Bodnar is a Ukrainian citizen, a 51-year-old native of Zaporizhzhia region. There is little information available in open independent sources about his life before detention. It is known that after the start of the Russian occupation of Crimea, he maintained connections with the peninsula and was there during the period when he came to the attention of Russian special services.

The Russian investigation alleged that Bodnar, along with Volodymyr Ananyev and Oksana Shevchenko, was preparing an assassination attempt on Sergey Aksyonov. According to the FSB, in 2023, the individuals hid an explosive device in a car, and in May of that year, they traveled to Crimea to set up a stash in a garage. The Russian side also claimed that in January 2024, Bodnar traveled from Simferopol to Henichesk, allegedly to collect packages containing mobile phones and a detonator.

These claims are the version of the Russian investigation and court. Radio Liberty separately notes that it is not possible to independently verify the claims of the Russian law enforcement and court regarding the case circumstances. Therefore, the profile should not present the preparation of the assassination as an established fact.

Bodnar's case was initially considered together with the cases of other defendants, but in March 2025, proceedings against him were separated into a distinct court case. A hearing in his case was scheduled for March 31.

At the end of March 2025, according to Russian media reports, Bodnar pleaded guilty and entered a pre-trial cooperation agreement with the investigation. This information was also reported by Ukrainian media citing Russian sources.

On June 23, 2025, the Russian military court delivered a guilty verdict. Bodnar received a 13-year prison sentence, with the first three years to be served in prison and the remaining ten in a strict regime colony. Additionally, he was fined 500,000 rubles.

Ukrainian and independent human rights sources view the case in the context of systematic persecution of Ukrainian citizens on the occupied Crimean peninsula. However, for accuracy, it is important to attribute the claim of political motivation specifically in Bodnar's case to human rights organizations, rather than presenting it as a court-established fact.

As of August 20, 2026, Volodymyr Bodnar is serving the sentence imposed by the Russian court — 13 years of imprisonment. The first three years are to be served in prison, followed by ten years in a strict regime colony; he was also fined 500,000 rubles. It is not possible to independently confirm the charges brought by Russia.

Information used from open sources: Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Suspilne Crimea, Radio Liberty (Crimea.Realities), Crimean Human Rights Group.

Updated: 20.08.2026