Arrest: According to the Russian investigation, at the end of 2022, he allegedly established contact with a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine and became part of an underground group operating in occupied Crimea. The Russian side claims Zhytzkyi received coordinates of weapon and explosive caches, made an improvised explosive device, and monitored former Ukrainian MP Oleh Tsaryov, who has cooperated with Russia since 2014 and was convicted in absentia by a Ukrainian court for crimes against the state. Ukrainian media report that the Russian investigation linked Petro Zhytzkyi to an assassination attempt on Tsaryov in October 2023 in Yalta. The veracity of these accusations cannot be independently verified as the criminal case materials remain inaccessible to the public, and the trial was held behind closed doors.

Sentence: On March 11, 2025, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Petro Zhytzkyi guilty under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including state treason, training for terrorist activities, attempted assassination of a public figure, illegal possession of explosives and weapons, and manufacturing an improvised explosive device. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison: the first 5 years in prison, the remainder in a high-security colony. He was also fined 800,000 Russian rubles and subjected to further restrictions on freedom. Ukrainian media emphasize that the case was based solely on Russian investigation materials, with no independent verification of evidence conducted.

Petro Zhytzkyi is a resident of temporarily occupied Yalta (Crimea). At the time of sentencing, he was 47 years old, living in Yalta, and remained on the peninsula after Crimea's occupation.

During the trial, independent international observers were not granted access to the case materials. Consequently, Ukrainian journalists and human rights defenders note that it is impossible to reliably assess the evidence underlying the conviction.

Following the sentencing, Petro Zhytzkyi was transferred to the Russian Federation's Federal Penitentiary Service system. As of July 2026, information about the specific facility where he is held has not been disclosed in open sources. Due to the closed nature of the proceedings, verified information about his detention conditions, health status, or ability to maintain regular contact with his family is also unavailable.

Ukrainian human rights organizations highlight that Petro Zhytzkyi's case was heard by a Russian military court on the territory of the Russian Federation concerning a Ukrainian citizen from temporarily occupied Crimea. The criminal proceedings materials were not open to independent observers, and most evidence is based on the Russian investigation's version. Therefore, independently confirming the case circumstances or assessing the legality of the obtained evidence is impossible. Meanwhile, Ukrainian human rights defenders emphasize that the practice of closed trials in cases related to 'state treason,' 'terrorism,' or 'sabotage' is systematically used by Russia against Ukrainian citizens.

The case of Petro Zhytzkyi is covered by the Human Rights Center ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, Krym.Realii, and several Ukrainian media outlets monitoring politically motivated persecutions in temporarily occupied territories. Unlike many other Crimean political prisoners, information about his case remains limited, and some human rights organizations have not yet published detailed profiles of this case.

As of July 12, 2026, Petro Zhytzkyi continues to serve the sentence imposed by the Russian court.

Information sourced from open sources: ZMINA, Suspilne Crimea, Krym.Realii.

Photo: ZMINA.

Update date: 12.07.2026.