Detention: On April 18, 2024, Russian security forces detained Yevheniya Samoylova and her husband Serhiy Kozlov. For a long time, their whereabouts remained unknown.

Sentence: As of July 21, 2026, there is no final verdict. The Russian Federation accuses Yevheniya Samoylova of 'state treason,' 'preparation for a terrorist act,' and 'illegal acquisition, storage, and transportation of explosives.' Human rights defenders consider the case politically motivated.

Yevheniya Oleksandrivna Samoylova was born on April 1, 1999. Before her detention, she lived in Kerch with her husband Serhiy Kozlov. There is virtually no information in open sources about her profession or public activities. It is known that she is a civilian.

On April 18, 2024, FSB officers detained Yevheniya Samoylova and Serhiy Kozlov. After their detention, relatives were unaware of their whereabouts for a long time. Only after several months was it revealed that the couple was held in custody, and their case was transferred to the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don.

According to the Russian investigation, the couple allegedly collaborated with the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and was preparing a terrorist act in Crimea. The Russian side claims they were detained while attempting to retrieve components for making explosive devices from a cache. However, independent evidence of these claims has not been published. The occupiers accuse Yevheniya and Serhiy of allegedly setting fire to a car with 'Z' and 'V' symbols, planning to blow up a railway in Crimea, and killing a Russian Armed Forces serviceman in Sevastopol.

After her detention, Yevheniya Samoylova was held in pre-trial detention centre No. 1 in Simferopol and later transferred to Rostov-on-Don, where her case is being considered by the Southern District Military Court. Serhiy Kozlov was also transferred to the Rostov region. Human rights defenders reported that for a long time, neither relatives nor lawyers could obtain full information about their detention conditions.

During the first court session, which took place in the fall of 2025, Russian state media reported that Serhiy Kozlov and Yevheniya Samoylova partially admitted guilt. These statements cannot be independently verified, as the trial is held behind closed doors, and access for journalists and the public is significantly restricted. Human rights defenders emphasize that in cases of political prisoners, such reports often appear under investigative pressure.

Human rights defenders note that the charges against her of 'state treason' and 'terrorism' are part of a broader practice of using Russian criminal law to persecute Ukrainian citizens in temporarily occupied territories.
As of July 21, 2026, Yevheniya Samoylova remains in custody. There is no information in open sources about a final verdict or her release. Her case remains an example of the criminal prosecution of Ukrainian civilians in temporarily occupied Crimea on charges that human rights organizations consider politically motivated.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date updated: July 21, 2026.