Detention: On October 3, 2024, Russian security forces detained Victoria Strilets and her daughter Oleksandra in occupied Sevastopol. Their detention was not immediately known; information about the case remained closed for some time. The Russian side claimed that Oleksandra allegedly established contact with Ukrainian intelligence and involved her mother in cooperation. According to the investigation, in September 2023, Oleksandra transmitted photographs of Russian military facilities via Telegram, allegedly taken by Victoria. These claims originate from Russian security structures and cannot be considered independently verified facts. No public statement from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine regarding this case has been recorded in open sources.

Sentence: On August 5, 2025, the Russian-controlled Sevastopol City Court found Victoria Strilets guilty under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code (“state treason”) and sentenced her to 12 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom. The trial was held in a closed session. Victoria and her daughter were taken into custody directly in the courtroom.

On January 21, 2026, ZMINA reported that the Third Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction of the Russian Federation upheld the sentences of Victoria and Oleksandra Strilets, making the punishment effective.

Victoria Viktorivna Strilets was born on March 29, 1983. She is a citizen of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, a resident of Sevastopol, and the mother of Oleksandra Strilets.

Victoria lived in Sevastopol for a long time. After the occupation of Crimea in 2014, her husband, a serviceman, relocated with his military unit to Mykolaiv. Victoria remained in Sevastopol, citing the need to care for her mother and maintain the family home.

Victoria has two daughters. The elder, Oleksandra Strilets, also became a subject of the criminal case and received the same sentence. The younger daughter lived separately. Both daughters lived with their father and attended a Ukrainian school at one time.

In 2017, Oleksandra came to Sevastopol to spend the summer with her mother. She planned to enter university, but during this period, Victoria's health suddenly deteriorated. Initially, she was treated for another condition, but it was ineffective. After examinations and an MRI, doctors diagnosed Victoria with multiple sclerosis. According to her daughter, due to her mother's illness, she abandoned her plans to enter university and began working to help pay for treatment.

Due to Victoria's illness, she needed regular treatment courses. According to Oleksandra, her mother required injections and intravenous infusions approximately every six months. Victoria's health condition was one of the significant factors affecting her daughter's future life.

In March 2024, Oleksandra resigned from her job in Sevastopol, planning to move with her young daughter to Simferopol. Shortly before this, she learned from acquaintances that a search was being conducted at Victoria's residence. After the search, Oleksandra returned home. According to her, Russian security forces took her and her mother for questioning but released them the same day.

Subsequently, Victoria and Oleksandra remained under investigation. Both women did not disclose case details due to a non-disclosure agreement. Meanwhile, Russian investigators claimed that photographs of Russian military facilities were transferred to Ukrainian intelligence in September 2023.

On October 3, 2024, the women were detained. Open sources indicate that their detention became public knowledge only later, and the trial was conducted in a closed session. Human rights defenders highlight the lack of open information about the evidence used in the prosecution.

On August 5, 2025, the Sevastopol City Court sentenced Victoria and Oleksandra Strilets to 12 years of imprisonment. Victoria was sent to a general regime colony.

In January 2026, it became known that the Russian appellate court upheld the sentence. Subsequently, Victoria was transferred from Crimea to Russia. According to human rights defenders, she is held at FKU IK-6 GUFSIN of Russia in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Nizhny Tagil. As of September 11, 2026, Victoria Strilets remains in custody.

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

Update date: 11.09.2026.