Detention: Oleksina became a target of politically motivated criminal prosecution by the Russian Federation. In August 2025, the journalist learned that the occupation 'Kyiv District Court' of Simferopol had issued an arrest warrant in absentia. Additionally, Russian authorities placed her on the federal wanted list and included her in the list of 'terrorists and extremists'.

Sentence: According to Russian sources, she is being prosecuted under Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in an illegal armed formation'), which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The journalist emphasizes that the charges are entirely fabricated and solely related to her professional activities. Russia continues her politically motivated criminal prosecution, and she remains on the Russian federal wanted list. There is no information in open independent sources about her detention or extradition.
Dorohan Oleksina Viktorivna is a Ukrainian journalist, author of the Crimea.Realities project (Ukrainian Service of Radio Liberty), specializing in covering political repressions in temporarily occupied Crimea. Before the occupation of the peninsula, she worked for Crimean TV channels and was a correspondent for Ukrainian national media. After the Russian occupation in 2014, she left Crimea, officially renounced the imposed Russian citizenship, and continued her journalistic work on mainland Ukraine.

Since 2015, Oleksina Dorohan has worked on the Crimea.Realities project, covering political persecution of Crimean Tatars, journalists, civic activists, and other Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea. She is the author of the well-known project 'Cargo 200', documenting deceased Russian servicemen from occupied Crimea who participated in the war against Ukraine. These journalistic investigations are one of the reasons for her persecution by Russian authorities.

In August 2025, the journalist learned that a criminal case had been opened against her in occupied Crimea. She discovered this after receiving information about an appeal against the decision of her arrest in absentia, sent to her former residence in Crimea. According to Oleksina Dorohan, she has been engaged exclusively in journalistic activities and has not participated in any illegal formations or military actions.

In addition to criminal prosecution, the journalist's name was added to the Russian Federation's federal wanted list. In an interview with Suspilne, she reported undergoing a special check for her data in Interpol databases. At the time of the check, there was no international search, but the journalist emphasized that Russia might use its mechanisms for international persecution of Ukrainian citizens, recommending all individuals pursued by the Russian Federation to conduct official checks and contact Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

Human rights organizations note that Oleksina Dorohan's case is part of a systematic campaign by the Russian Federation against independent journalists documenting the crimes of the occupation authorities. The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea emphasizes that journalists remain one of the main targets of Russian repressions on the temporarily occupied peninsula.

Information used from open sources: Crimea.Realities, Suspilne Crimea, Institute of Mass Information, Center for Journalistic Investigations, Representation of the President of Ukraine in the ARC.

Photo: Crimea.Realities.

Date updated: 29.07.2026.