Arrest: In October 2023, 22-year-old Kerch resident and sailor Vladyslav Kysliakov was initially detained and arrested for 10 days by Russian security forces due to anti-war publications. Later, he was taken into custody by FSB officers in occupied Crimea, accused of allegedly collecting and transmitting information to Ukrainian intelligence about the location of Russian air defense systems.

Sentence: On October 18, 2024, the so-called Supreme Court of annexed Crimea sentenced Vladyslav Kysliakov to 13 years in a strict regime colony under Article 275 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code ('treason'). He was also given an additional penalty of 1.5 years of restricted freedom after serving the main term. The Russian court proceedings were conducted in complete secrecy.

Vladyslav Illich Kysliakov was born on June 30, 2001, in Kerch, on the eastern part of the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula. Growing up in a port city influenced his career choice; he pursued education and worked as a sailor. Vladyslav's youth coincided with the period of Crimea's occupation by the Russian Federation. Despite prolonged aggressive propaganda and militarization of the peninsula, he maintained critical thinking, a clear sense of civic identity, and pro-Ukrainian views. Friends and acquaintances described him as a calm but determined person with a strong sense of justice.

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vladyslav could not remain silent in the face of aggression. Despite significant risks to his freedom and life associated with dissent in occupied Crimea, he chose the path of active, albeit covert, resistance to the occupation regime in his hometown.

He used social media and messaging platforms to express his anti-war stance and support for Ukraine. Vladyslav disseminated informational materials exposing the real losses of the Russian occupation army and urged fellow citizens to resist the invaders.

The Russian repressive machine in Crimea responded harshly. In October 2023, the Kerch City Court, controlled by the occupiers, brought Vladyslav to administrative responsibility through pre-arranged schemes. Initially, he was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest based on a fabricated protocol for allegedly 'displaying Nazi symbols.' The occupation judges saw 'criminality' in a patriotic image with a Ukrainian inscription supposedly published by Vladyslav: 'Defeated Nazism — will defeat Rashism! 1939-1945 remember.'

Immediately after the administrative detention, Vladyslav Kysliakov was not released. FSB officers officially charged him with committing a particularly serious crime against Russia's security — 'treason' (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code). Vladyslav was placed in custody at the Simferopol pre-trial detention center.

The trial of the young Ukrainian took place in the so-called Supreme Court of Crimea under conditions of complete secrecy and isolation. The hearings were closed, with no access for journalists, human rights defenders, or even relatives, under the pretext that the case materials allegedly 'contained information constituting a state secret of the Russian Federation.' This allowed the occupation court to issue a verdict without providing any real public evidence of Kysliakov's guilt.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Tatar Resource Center, ZMINA, CrimeaSOS, Radio Liberty

Update date: 07.11.2026.