Arrest: In December 2023, Russian security forces detained Kseniya Svetlishina in occupied Sevastopol as an activist of the Ukrainian resistance movement 'Yellow Ribbon'. The Russian side accused her of allegedly confidential cooperation with a foreign state and politically motivated vandalism. According to the occupation investigation, Svetlishina allegedly transmitted information about Russian military facilities to Ukrainian intelligence via Telegram and made political inscriptions on benches and public facilities in Anna Akhmatova Park in Sevastopol. Ukrainian human rights defenders view the case as politically motivated persecution of the activist.

Sentence: On September 3, 2024, the occupation 'Sevastopol City Court' sentenced Kseniya Svetlishina to 5 years and 3 months in a general regime colony with restrictions on freedom after release. She was found guilty under Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly confidential cooperation with a foreign state and Part 2 of Article 214 of the Russian Criminal Code — 'vandalism based on political hostility'.

In July 2025, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation returned the case for a new trial, reclassifying the charge from confidential cooperation with a foreign state to the more severe charge of 'treason'. This was the first known case in Crimea where the Russian cassation instance sent a case back for review to increase the punishment.

On October 30, 2025, the occupation 'Sevastopol City Court' after a retrial sentenced Svetlishina to 13 years and 3 months in a general regime colony with an additional restriction of freedom for 1 year and 6 months.

In 2026, the Russian appellate instance upheld the increased sentence without changes. According to Suspilne Crimea, the review was conducted in a closed session, and information about the trial was concealed on the official resource of the occupation court.

Kseniya Svetlishina was born on April 28, 1986. She lived in occupied Sevastopol and is raising two children. At the time of her imprisonment, the children were 14 and 15 years old.

Russian security forces claimed that Svetlishina allegedly cooperated with Ukrainian intelligence and transmitted information about the Russian army via Telegram. She was also accused of making political inscriptions in public spaces in Sevastopol. These claims represent the Russian side's position in the criminal case.

On September 3, 2024, after the first trial, Svetlishina was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in a general regime colony. After the verdict, she was to be transferred to serve her sentence outside Crimea.

In July 2025, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not overturn the verdict or acquit Svetlishina. Instead, the case was returned to the Sevastopol occupation court due to claims of the need to qualify her actions under the more severe charge of 'treason'.

On October 30, 2025, after a retrial, the occupation court increased the sentence to 13 years and 3 months. Thus, effectively adding eight more years to the previously assigned term.

In 2026, Kseniya Svetlishina was initially transferred from pre-trial detention centre No. 1 in occupied Simferopol. The direction of her transfer remained unknown for a long time, and human rights defenders reported that contact with her would only be possible after the transfer was completed.

On August 31, 2026, it became known that Svetlishina was delivered to a women's colony in Vologda, Russia. According to human rights defenders, this colony has strict restrictions on correspondence: inmates are allowed to correspond with no more than three recipients, mentioning the word 'political prisoner' is prohibited, and receiving letters from abroad is practically complicated.

The transfer of a Ukrainian citizen from occupied Crimea to the territory of the Russian Federation is considered by human rights defenders as a violation of international humanitarian law norms. The transfer of civilians from occupied territory to the territory of the occupying state is a separate issue in the context of the Russian occupation of Crimea.

As of September 9, 2026, Kseniya Svetlishina continues to serve an unlawful sentence in a women's colony in Vologda, Russian Federation. Her case remains an example of the persecution of residents of occupied Crimea for their pro-Ukrainian stance and participation in the non-violent resistance movement.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Human Rights Project 'Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial'.

Photo: ZMINA.

Updated on: 09.09.2026.