High treason charge for Russian man who ‘sent crypto to Ukraine’

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—by Protos Staff

In the quiet streets of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in Russia’s Far East, an unidentified man has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of high treason for sending cryptocurrency to Ukraine’s armed forces.

The crypto was allegedly sent to Ukraine’s military with the intent to “purchase weapons, ammunition, and uniforms,” according to state-owned Russian outlet Izvestia.

Russia’s top intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), shared a video of the arrest on Wednesday. It depicts several agents rushing out of a vehicle and pinning the man to the ground with his arms behind his back. He’s then handcuffed, detained, and interviewed.

Video footage of the arrest shared by Russia’s FSB (via Izvestia).

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Russian man accused of sending crypto to Ukraine may get hefty sentence

This arrest marks the latest in a string of charges against alleged Ukraine supporters. The day prior, on September 17, a man in Mariupol was also arrested for high treason. He’s accused of sharing sensitive information with Ukraine’s intelligence agency about the location of Russian troops and units, with the intent to eliminate them.

It remains unclear what sentences these unidentified men may receive if found guilty. However, two weeks ago, physicist Alexander Shiplyuk received 15 years in prison after being found guilty of “state treason.” The private trial found that while Shiplyuk was working on Russia’s hypersonic missile program in 2017, he shared classified information at an overseas conference with German intelligence. Shiplyuk denied the charges, and reportedly refused a plea deal.

The physicist’s colleague, 77-year-old scientist Anatoly Maslov, was similarly accused. Despite denying all allegations, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison back in May. If he survives, Maslov will be 90 years old upon his release.

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