Russia Sentences Ukrainian Spy To 12 Years' Imprisonment

A Crimean court sentenced a Russian woman to 12 years in prison after finding her guilty of high treason for spying for Ukraine. "The Sevastopol City Court found Galina Dovgopolaya [...] guilty of committing a crime under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code [high treason]. The court sentenced her to 12 years in a regular security prison," Russian news agency TASS reported Monday, citing an anonymous source.

RELATED:

Women March in Ukraine Against Gender Violence

The source consulted by the Russian agency claims that what she was doing constitutes a crime of high treason since if the classified information were to be handed over, it could have been used to undermine Russia's security.

According to court reports, the case was heard behind closed doors because the material in question contained state secrets that should not be made public.

TASS adds that the verdict against the Russian citizen has not yet come into force, and, therefore, her lawyers can appeal the ruling to other courts of the Russian Federation.

Dovgopolaya was arrested in late November 2019 by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on the Crimean peninsula and taken to Moscow early this year to undergo appropriate investigations.

The number of Ukrainian or Russian spies detained by the Russian security services has increased considerably in recent times, which shows, according to several experts, that the discrepancy between Moscow and Kiev remains very high after the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Russian-Ukrainian tension flared seven years ago when Crimea decided in 2014 to join the Russian Federation following a popular consultation. Kiev and its Western allies did not recognize the annexation and imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow, which has led to a steady increase in tensions in the area.