Detention: In November 2023, Olha Kolkova was detained by officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea, accused of allegedly collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence services and preparing sabotage activities on the peninsula.

Sentence: On February 26, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Olha Kolkova to 15 years in prison on fabricated charges of 'state treason,' 'preparation for a terrorist act,' and 'training for terrorist activities.'

The case of Olha Kolkova is another example of the extensive repressive campaign launched by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula to suppress any form of civil resistance, pro-Ukrainian sentiments, or dissent against the occupation regime. Since 2014, Russian security agencies, particularly the FSB, have employed systematic mechanisms to fabricate criminal cases. Articles of the Russian Federation's Criminal Code related to 'state treason,' 'espionage,' 'terrorism,' and 'sabotage' are frequently used. This harsh repression affects Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians, and citizens of any origin who openly or covertly show loyalty to Ukraine or resist the occupiers.

According to official materials and statements from Russian judicial authorities, the criminal prosecution of Olha Kolkova began after the events of autumn 2023. The occupation investigation claims that in September 2023, Olha Kolkova was in Istanbul, Turkey. The Russian side alleges that there she established and maintained direct contact with active officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), either on her own initiative or under circumstances.

According to the FSB and Russian prosecution, during this communication, Kolkova allegedly agreed to perform tasks for the Ukrainian intelligence service in Crimea. Subsequently, in November 2023, she left Turkey and arrived in Simferopol. The Russian prosecution insists that her main task in occupied Crimea was to gather components necessary for independently manufacturing explosive devices (including two homemade hand grenades) based on received instructions.

Additionally, the occupiers accused Olha Kolkova of allegedly selecting potential targets for sabotage and terrorist acts. Specifically, the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea notes that Russian security agencies accused her of attempting to set fire to or blow up a civilian or military vehicle marked with Russian occupation symbols in the form of the letter 'Z.' The Russian security service reported that the defendant managed to carry out part of the instructions, but her criminal intent was allegedly not completed due to her prompt detention by FSB officers.

After her detention, she was placed in a Crimean pre-trial detention centre. Later, Kolkova's case was transferred to Rostov-on-Don, to the Southern District Military Court, which traditionally issues guilty verdicts against Ukrainian citizens abducted or detained in occupied territories.

Ukraine continues to fight for the release of Olha Kolkova and hundreds of other Crimean political prisoners through international legal institutions, demanding increased sanctions pressure on Russia and its judicial system from the global community.

Information used from open sources: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Radio Liberty.

Update date: 11.07.2026.