Detention: Following the full-scale Russian invasion, she remained in the occupied territory, where she was unlawfully detained by Russian security forces in December 2022. According to human rights defenders, after her detention, Anya was held in isolation for an extended period without proper access to a lawyer or contact with her family. Subsequently, a criminal case was initiated against her on charges of 'espionage' (Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code). The Russian side claimed she allegedly transmitted information about Russian military movements to the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian human rights organizations emphasize that the case bears all the hallmarks of politically motivated persecution, and independent verification of the evidence is impossible due to the closed nature of the proceedings.

Sentence: In October 2024, the so-called 'Kherson Regional Court,' established by the Russian occupation administration, found Anya Yeltsova guilty of 'espionage' and sentenced her to 10 years in a general regime colony. Human rights defenders stress that the trial was conducted with numerous violations of the right to a fair trial, and the case materials remained closed to independent scrutiny. Anya Yeltsova is included in the lists of Ukrainian civilian political prisoners illegally detained by Russia on politically motivated charges.

Anya Yeltsova is a Ukrainian citizen residing in the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region. Limited biographical information about Anya Yeltsova is available in open sources due to the closed nature of her case, and human rights defenders deliberately withhold certain personal data for the safety of her family. Nevertheless, her name regularly appears in reports by Ukrainian and international human rights organizations documenting the illegal persecution of civilian women in occupied Ukrainian territories.

During the trial, independent observers had no access to the case materials. Therefore, human rights defenders emphasize that assessing the credibility of the evidence on which the conviction was based is impossible, contradicting international standards of fair trial.

During the so-called investigation, Anya Yeltsova was held in complete isolation for nearly two years without contact with her family, access to an independent lawyer, or official confirmation of her whereabouts. Only in the fall of 2024 did the Russian FSB publicly announce her alleged 'detention,' although she had already been in unlawful detention for a long time. According to human rights defenders, during her isolation, she may have been subjected to psychological and physical pressure to obtain a 'confession.' Later, Russian propaganda resources released a video in which Anya admits guilt, but human rights organizations believe such testimony may have been coerced.

While held in Simferopol Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 2, and later in the detention facility in Chongar, Anya Yeltsova's health deteriorated. Relatives reported skin problems, severe tooth pain, and the need for dental care, which she did not receive for a long time. Human rights defenders also reported that the Russian authorities offered her Russian citizenship, which she refused. Her case has become one of the most well-known examples of the persecution of civilian residents of occupied Kherson under fabricated charges of 'espionage.'

Anya Yeltsova's case is documented by the Crimean Human Rights Group, the Human Rights Center ZMINA, the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIPL), the Center for Journalistic Investigations, the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and other Ukrainian human rights organizations. They demand her immediate release, provision of appropriate medical care, and holding those responsible for her abduction and unlawful detention accountable.

As of July 10, 2026, Anya Yeltsova remains unlawfully detained in Russian custody. Human rights defenders view her case as one of the most striking examples of the enforced disappearance of a civilian followed by politically motivated criminal prosecution in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG), Human Rights Center ZMINA, Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIPL), Center for Journalistic Investigations, Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Suspilne Crimea.

Photo: Photo from personal Instagram profile.

Update Date: 10.07.2026.