Detention: On July 14, 2025, Kyrylo Kostygov was detained by FSB officers at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport following a check of his mobile phone.

Sentence: As of July 19, 2026, no sentence has been issued. Kyrylo Kostygov remains in custody at pre-trial detention centre No. 3 in Moscow. The Russian Federation accuses him under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ('treason'), alleging he made money transfers to Ukrainian charitable organizations. Human rights defenders consider the criminal prosecution politically motivated.

Kyrylo Vitaliyovych Kostygov was born on September 18, 1994. He is a native and resident of Kerch, Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine. After the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, he, like most residents of the peninsula, was granted imposed Russian citizenship while remaining a citizen of Ukraine. There is no confirmed information in open sources about his education, profession, or marital status.

On July 14, 2025, Kyrylo Kostygov was detained by FSB officers at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport following a check of his mobile phone. According to the human rights initiative 'First Department', the authorities claimed to have found information about small money transfers to Ukrainian charitable organizations. The total amount of these transfers, according to their version, was about 2,000 Russian rubles (approximately equivalent to one thousand hryvnias).

After the detention, the FSB did not immediately open a criminal case. Initially, Kyrylo was subjected to so-called 'carousel administrative arrests'—he was consecutively accused of petty hooliganism and other administrative offenses, allowing the authorities to keep him in custody without formal criminal charges for several weeks. Only after this was a case initiated under the article on treason. Human rights defenders describe this practice as a way to circumvent procedural guarantees and create time to prepare a criminal case.

The Russian investigation claims that the transfers to Ukrainian charitable organizations constitute 'financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation'. On this basis, Kyrylo Kostygov was charged under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ('treason'). It is impossible to independently verify the case materials as they are classified, and court sessions are held in closed session.

As of July 19, 2026, Kyrylo Kostygov remains in pre-trial detention centre No. 3 in Moscow. There is no information in open sources about the completion of the investigation or the issuance of a sentence.

Information used from open sources: Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Krym.Realii, Human Rights Initiative 'First Department', Human Rights Project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial'.

Photo: Suspilne Crimea.

Update date: 19.07.2026.