Detention: In early March 2014, he arrived in Sevastopol to participate in a peaceful pro-Ukrainian rally marking the 200th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's birth. On March 9, 2014, after the rally, Shiptur was detained by members of the Russian-controlled 'Crimean self-defense' units and later handed over to Russian law enforcement. According to the investigation, during a clash, he allegedly attempted to kill a 'self-defense' member and illegally transported firearms. Shiptur denied the charges, claiming he was a victim of politically motivated persecution due to his pro-Ukrainian stance. Human rights activists also emphasized the political nature of the case.

Sentence: On April 28, 2015, the Russian-controlled Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol found Mykola Shiptur guilty of attempted murder of a person in connection with their official duties and illegal transportation of weapons, sentencing him to 10 years in a high-security colony. During the appeal on June 16, 2015, the Sevastopol City Court dropped the charge of illegal weapon transportation and reduced the sentence to 9 years. Shiptur served his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 1 in Simferopol. He reported harsh conditions, including unsanitary conditions, insufficient food, and mistreatment of inmates. He also witnessed the detention and torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

On March 7, 2023, after serving his full sentence, Mykola Shiptur was released from the colony. Following his release, he was placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens in the Rostov region, as he remained a Ukrainian citizen. In May 2023, he was able to return to Ukraine.

After his release, Shiptur repeatedly spoke about systematic human rights violations in detention facilities in occupied Crimea and Russia, as well as the torture of Ukrainian prisoners.

Mykola Shiptur is a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and a civic activist from Ivano-Frankivsk. He is married to Yulia Shiptur, who advocated for his release throughout his imprisonment, maintained contact through lawyers, and sent money and packages to the colony. The couple has a son, Serhiy, who was 10 years old at the time of his father's detention. According to Shiptur, thoughts of his family helped him endure nine years of imprisonment.

Mykola Shiptur's case was one of the first instances of politically motivated criminal prosecution of a Ukrainian citizen in occupied Crimea following the start of the Russian occupation. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations viewed his persecution as punishment for participating in a pro-Ukrainian rally and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Information sourced from: ZMINA, the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Radio Liberty, Wikipedia, Center for Civil Liberties.

Photo: Hromadske Radio.

Last updated: 09.07.2026.