Detention: On September 17, 2014, he arrived in occupied Simferopol for one day to attend an aviation exhibition and meet with aviation enthusiast friends. At the railway station, he was abducted by representatives of the so-called 'Crimean self-defense' and then handed over to FSB officers. For several weeks, his family did not know his whereabouts. It was only at the end of October that it became known Valentyn was held in Moscow's Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre. According to relatives, independent lawyers were not allowed during the investigation, and the case was completely classified. The FSB accused the Ukrainian of alleged 'espionage' for Ukraine in the aerospace field, but the case materials were not disclosed even to his family.

Sentence: On December 15, 2015, the Moscow Regional Court sentenced Valentyn Vyhivskyi to 11 years in a strict regime colony under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code ('Espionage'). The trial was held in a closed session, and the verdict text has not been published. In 2016, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine attempted to secure Vyhivskyi's transfer to serve his sentence in Ukraine, but Russia refused. Human rights defenders consider his case politically motivated and emphasize that evidence of guilt was never presented to the independent public.

Valentyn Vyhivskyi was born on August 3, 1983, in the city of Pripyat. After the Chernobyl disaster, his family moved to Kyiv. He is an entrepreneur by education, passionate about aviation and aircraft photography, and an active member of the international planespotting community. During the Revolution of Dignity, he participated in protests in Kyiv. He is married and has a son. Before his arrest, he was not involved with military service or special services, and among friends, he was known as someone enthusiastic about aviation and technology.

After his detention, Vyhivskyi was held in isolation for over a year. His family had almost no opportunity to communicate with him, and all meetings were under strict control. Human rights defenders repeatedly stated that Valentyn's case is one of the most closed among all Ukrainian political prisoners, as even lawyers were restricted in accessing the criminal proceedings materials.

After the sentence became final, Valentyn Vyhivskyi was transferred to a strict regime colony in Russia. He spent a significant part of his imprisonment in almost complete isolation from the outside world. His family reported significant difficulties in receiving letters and phone calls, as well as psychological pressure he faced while in detention. According to his wife and human rights defenders, the administration repeatedly restricted his right to correspondence and contact with relatives.

Ukrainian and international human rights organizations emphasize that Valentyn Vyhivskyi's case bears all the hallmarks of politically motivated persecution. The 'espionage' charges were completely classified, and neither the defense nor the public had the opportunity to review the evidence on which the conviction was based. The closed nature of the process and the lack of independent judicial oversight have led to numerous statements about violations of the right to a fair trial.

Despite the fact that Valentyn's imprisonment term ended on September 17, 2025, Valentyn Vyhivskyi remains in illegal detention.

Information used from open sources: ZMINA, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Crimea Realities, Ukrinform, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, LB.ua, Hromadske Radio, Center for Civil Liberties.

Photo: ZMINA.

Date updated: 07/06/2026