Detention: Viktor was detained on May 5, 2023, in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine). Following his detention, he was placed in custody as part of a criminal case that the FSB of the Russian Federation called a case of preparing attacks on representatives of the occupation administration of Crimea.

Sentence: As of July 21, 2026, no final sentence has been issued. The Russian Federation accuses Viktor Pidvalnyi under articles Art. 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“State treason”), Part 4 Art. 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, forwarding, or carrying of explosives or explosive devices, committed by a group of persons”), Part 3 Art. 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Smuggling of an explosive device, committed by an organized group”), Part 1 Art. 205.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Organization of a terrorist community and participation in it”), Part 1 Art. 30, para. a Part 2 Art. 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Preparation for committing a terrorist act”) and para. “a”, “b” Part 2 Art. 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Terrorist act”).

Viktor Kazymyrovych Pidvalnyi was born on January 22, 1967. He is a resident of the temporarily occupied Crimea. There is little information about his professional activities, education, or family in open human rights sources, which is typical for many Ukrainian civilians persecuted by Russia for political reasons.

After the start of the full-scale war, Russia significantly intensified the persecution of civilians in occupied Crimea. One example is the case in which Viktor Pidvalnyi was accused of allegedly creating a terrorist community and preparing explosions against representatives of the peninsula's occupation administration. Ukrainian human rights defenders note that such criminal proceedings are regularly used as a tool of political pressure and propaganda.

On May 5, 2023, Viktor Pidvalnyi was detained by FSB officers. He was then placed in custody. Subsequently, Russian investigators charged him with several particularly serious offenses, including “state treason,” “organization of a terrorist community,” “terrorist act,” “smuggling of an explosive device,” and other articles related to explosives. Under Russian law, the combination of these charges entails extremely severe punishment.

According to the FSB, Viktor Pidvalnyi was one of the participants in a group allegedly preparing attacks on the head of the occupation administration of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, and other representatives of the occupation authorities. Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasize that similar cases against Ukrainian civilians are often based on closed materials, anonymous witness testimonies, and evidence that cannot be independently verified. Therefore, they consider such prosecutions to be politically motivated.

After the completion of investigative actions, Viktor Pidvalnyi was transferred to Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don, where he remains in custody during the trial by the Southern District Military Court. Human rights defenders emphasize that this court regularly hears most politically motivated criminal cases against Ukrainian citizens from occupied Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories.

As of July 21, 2026, Viktor Pidvalnyi remains in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don. There is no information in open verified sources about a final sentence being issued or his release. His case remains an example of politically motivated persecution of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian Federation.

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

Photo: Human rights project “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial”.

Update date: 21.07.2026.