In Rostov-on-Don, a design engineer employed by a military-industrial complex enterprise was arrested on charges of treason. The Federal Security Service of Russia reported that the Rostov resident cooperated with Kyiv, transmitting information about Russian air defense systems and personnel of the Armed Forces.
According to the FSB Center for Public Relations, from February to April 2023 the Russian citizen conducted duties via internet messengers with an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and proactively shared sensitive information. The locations of defense industry facilities, as well as air defense systems and armed forces personnel stationed in Rostov-on-Don, were identified in the case materials released by the agency.
A criminal case was opened on charges of treason in the form of espionage. Previously, Article 275 of the Criminal Code stipulated a prison term of 12 to 20 years with or without confiscation of property. In April, the potential sentence was described as capable of reaching life imprisonment for those found guilty.
As reported to Kommersant-South, citing law enforcement sources, the detained Rostov resident is 50 years old. He is currently held in one of Moscow’s pre-trial detention facilities.
Ilya Trachuk, a former soldier in the Rostov garrison, was imprisoned for up to 14 years in a strict regime colony on charges of treason and illegal access to state secrets. Details of the case have not been disclosed publicly.
The Kitchi Case
On April 19, Dmitry Kicha, a former deputy head of the test laboratory at the Moscow arms factory Promtekhnologiya, was charged under Article 275 of the Criminal Code for treason and is currently held at the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center.
The Kichu case remains under court secrecy, with proceedings conducted behind closed doors.
A representative for Promtekhnologiya told TASS that the accused had not worked for the company for two years. The representative stated that the individual left voluntarily to pursue other opportunities, and the company had no further information about the person’s actions since then. Promtekhnologiya is known for manufacturing ORSIS hunting and sporting rifles.
The Perm Terrorist Attacks Case
On May 20, the FSB reported a criminal case against two residents of the Perm Territory, ages 24 and 27, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine after being suspected of treason.
In December 2022, SBU agents were identified as planning terrorist actions in Perm within the Kama region. It was later indicated that Dmitry Strelkov served as their leader. In 2019, Strelkov and Zyryanov were sentenced in absentia to seven and five years respectively for extremism and deliberate property damage. They later fled to Ukraine to avoid Russian security forces and were reportedly conscripted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the same year. Since 2022, they have allegedly participated in hostilities against Russian forces.
Strelkov and Zyryanov remain on the wanted list and are considered fugitives in Russia.