Detention: Russian security forces unlawfully detained Ukrainian marine biologist Leonid Pshenichnov in mid-September 2025 while he was in Kerch with his family.

Sentence: As of July 21, 2026, there is no information about a sentence in open sources. The Russian Federation accuses Leonid Pshenichnov under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code ('treason'). Human rights defenders and Ukrainian state bodies consider the criminal prosecution politically motivated, linking it to his long-standing role as Ukraine's official representative in international Antarctic organizations.

Leonid Konstantinovich Pshenichnov was born on May 17, 1955. He is a Ukrainian marine biologist specializing in the biological resources of the Southern Ocean and is one of Ukraine's most respected Antarctic researchers. He has dedicated over forty years to studying Antarctic marine ecosystems, assessing krill stocks, conserving marine birds and mammals, and addressing sustainable resource use in the Southern Ocean.

For many years, Leonid Pshenichnov worked at the Southern Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography in Kerch. After the occupation of Crimea in 2014, he moved to the Institute of Fisheries and Marine Ecology in Berdyansk and later to the Institute of Fisheries, Marine Ecology, and Oceanography in Kyiv. Despite this, due to family circumstances, he continued to reside in Kerch, maintaining Ukrainian citizenship. Following the occupation, Russian authorities forcibly issued him a Russian passport, which was later used as a formal basis for the 'treason' charge.

Since 1996, Leonid Pshenichnov has represented Ukraine in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). He was one of the leading Ukrainian experts involved in international negotiations on krill fishing quotas, marine ecosystem protection, and the creation of marine protected areas near the Antarctic Peninsula. His scientific stance often contradicted the Russian Federation's proposals for intensive industrial harvesting of Southern Ocean bioresources.

In mid-September 2025, Russian security forces detained Leonid Pshenichnov in occupied Kerch. It later became known that he was charged with 'treason.' According to the National Antarctic Scientific Center, the actual reason for the prosecution was his long-standing international activity as a Ukrainian representative and his principled position on protecting Antarctic marine ecosystems. Human rights defenders emphasize that the case bears all the hallmarks of politically motivated persecution.

The detention occurred shortly before the next international CCAMLR conference in Hobart, Australia, where the Ukrainian delegation was to present its position on Antarctic marine resource protection. The Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea stated that the scientist's arrest was an attempt by Russia to hinder Ukraine's participation in international environmental cooperation and exert pressure on Ukrainian science. The Ukrainian delegation and international partners condemned the actions of the occupying authorities and called for the scientist's immediate release.

The National Antarctic Scientific Center called Leonid Pshenichnov the first political prisoner in Antarctic history, emphasizing that his persecution is directly linked to his professional activities and the defense of Ukrainian interests in international scientific organizations. The Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrainian diplomats, and human rights organizations demand his immediate release and an end to the political persecution of Ukrainian scientists.

As of July 21, 2026, Leonid Pshenichnov remains unlawfully detained. His case is one of the most notable examples of the persecution of Ukrainian scientists by the Russian Federation and the use of criminal law for political pressure.

Information used from open sources: The Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, National Antarctic Scientific Center, Krym.Realii, Ukrainska Pravda, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial'.

Photo: Krym.Realii.

Update date: 21.07.2026.