Ukrainian Woman Sentenced to 10.5 Years in Russian Penal Colony for ‘Espionage’

A Russian court has sentenced a Ukrainian citizen who was arrested in Kherson during the city’s occupation by Russian forces to 10.5 years in a penal colony, accusing her of espionage on behalf of Ukraine.

Iryna Horobtsova, an IT worker, became active in supporting her community during the Russian occupation of Kherson, delivering food and medicine to residents while publicly expressing her support for the Ukrainian armed forces online.

Her activities drew the attention of Russian authorities, leading to her arrest on May 13, 2022, at her home in Kherson.

Kherson was one of the first major Ukrainian cities to fall under Russian control in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The city remained under occupation until November 11, 2022, when Ukrainian forces successfully recaptured it.

Arrested in May 2022 and held without legal representation for nearly two years, Horobtsova met her lawyer for the first time only during the trial.

By the time Ukrainian forces liberated the city, Horobtsova had already been transferred to Simferopol in annexed Crimea.

The court found Horobtsova guilty of gathering and transmitting “strategically important data” about Russian military units stationed in the Kherson region.

According to the Russian Prosecutor General’s office, the information allegedly provided to Ukrainian intelligence could have been used to launch attacks on Russian military positions.

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Legal proceedings against Horobtsova were shrouded in secrecy, with her defense attorney learning of the espionage charges only in March 2024. Despite being denied access to his client for nearly two years, her lawyer finally saw her for the first time during her trial.

As Radio Svoboda stressed, Horobtsova was convicted despite the significant legal irregularities surrounding her detention and trial.

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