Detention: On September 4, 2022, Russian military forces abducted Vitaliy Ryazanov from his home in Kalanchak, Kherson region. He was held illegally for over two months in the basement of a police station in Chaplynka. Later, he was handed over to FSB officers and unlawfully transferred to occupied Crimea. The Russian authorities charged Ryazanov under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code, allegedly for participating in an illegal armed formation. His case was linked to the so-called 'Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan.'

Sentence: On April 28, 2023, the unlawful 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea' sentenced Vitaliy Ryazanov to 5 years in a strict regime colony under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code.

In July 2023, the occupation appeals court altered the sentence execution order. Ryazanov was to spend the first year in prison, followed by serving the remainder in a colony.

Vitaliy Ryazanov was born on May 3, 1987. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, he lived in Kalanchak, Kherson region. From 2015 to 2017, Ryazanov was part of a volunteer formation in Kherson region, serving alongside border guards at a checkpoint near the administrative boundary with occupied Crimea.

From 2017 to 2019, Vitaliy Ryazanov served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under contract, stationed in Donetsk region, including near Avdiivka. After completing his military service, Ryazanov returned to civilian life in Kalanchak.

Following the full-scale Russian invasion and occupation of parts of Kherson region, he remained in Kalanchak. On September 4, 2022, Russian military forces abducted Vitaliy Ryazanov from his home.

After the abduction, his family was unaware of his whereabouts for an extended period. It was later revealed that he was held for over two months in the basement of a police station in Chaplynka.

Subsequently, Ryazanov was handed over to FSB officers and unlawfully transferred to occupied Crimea.

The Russian authorities charged him under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code for participating in an illegal armed formation. The case involved the so-called 'Crimean Tatar Volunteer Battalion named after Noman Çelebicihan.'

According to human rights activists, Ryazanov severed ties with this formation before starting his military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This fact casts doubt on the validity of the charges against him.

On April 28, 2023, the occupation 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea' found Ryazanov guilty and sentenced him to 5 years in a strict regime colony.

In July 2023, the appeals court changed the sentence execution order. Ryazanov was to spend the first year in prison.

Following the sentencing, Ryazanov remained in the Russian penitentiary system. Information about his subsequent transfers between facilities is limited. According to the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, his family occasionally managed to send him parcels.

As of September 9, 2026, he continues to serve the unlawfully imposed sentence.

Information sourced from open sources: ZMINA, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, CrimeaSOS, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Center for Investigative Journalism.

Photo: Center for Investigative Journalism.

Last updated: 09.09.2026.