Detention: August 21, 2025, Sochi airport (RF), after arriving from Turkey. Victoria Sergeeva's whereabouts were concealed from her family for over five months following her detention. It was later revealed that she was held in several pre-trial detention centres, including in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region.

Sentence: As of July 22, 2026, no final sentence has been issued. The Russian Federation accuses Victoria Sergeeva under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code ('treason'), alleging she made financial transfers to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Human rights defenders emphasize that the case is politically motivated, and the evidence may have been obtained under duress.

Victoria Volodymyrivna Sergeeva was born on May 15, 1970. She is a native of Crimea and of Ukrainian descent. Before her detention, she lived on the occupied peninsula. There is no reliable information about her professional activities in open sources.

In August 2025, Victoria was returning to Russia via Sochi airport after a trip to Turkey. During border control, FSB officers noted her Ukrainian passport and established that she had been in Ukraine in the summer of 2025. She was then detained without the opportunity to inform her family of her whereabouts. For more than five months, she was effectively held incommunicado.

According to the FSB, Victoria Sergeeva allegedly made transfers to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She stated that security service officers forced her to provide access to banking apps, after which they showed her several transactions. Sergeeva explained that the bank account was linked to an old SIM card she no longer used, so she could not confirm that she made these payments.

While in custody, Victoria reported physical abuse. She stated that after complaining about sore knees, FSB officers used a stun gun and forcibly stretched her legs, later threatening to use the stun gun again. She also reported that women detained with her were not provided with lawyers, were not informed about the official status of their cases, and were not allowed to contact their families.

Human rights defenders view these actions as signs of cruel treatment and violations of the right to a fair trial.

Only on January 28, 2026, was Victoria Sergeeva taken to Krasnodar, where she was officially informed of the criminal case for 'treason.' She was later transferred to Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Simferopol, where she remains in custody during the pre-trial investigation.

In May 2026, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center reported that Victoria Sergeeva retracted statements made during interrogations, claiming they were given under psychological and physical pressure from FSB officers.

As of July 22, 2026, Victoria Sergeeva remains in custody. There is no information in open sources about the commencement of the trial or the issuance of a verdict. Her case is an example of the persecution of Ukrainian citizens on charges of 'treason' based on unverified evidence and reports of mistreatment during the investigation.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Human Rights Project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial.'

Photo: ZMINA.

Update date: July 22, 2026.