Russian occupation court sentences Ukrainian to 11 years for alleged espionage

A Russian-controlled court in occupied Donetsk Oblast sentenced 20-year-old Mikhail Karimov, a resident of Mariupol, to 11 years in a strict regime penal colony, Mariupol City Council reported on Dec. 12.

Karimov was accused of allegedly providing Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) with information about Russian troop locations and movements between December 2022 and June 2023.

Mariupol City Council noted that Russian-set authorities have intensified efforts to identify and prosecute so-called "spies" and "saboteurs" in occupied territories, with numerous court hearings being held for those accused of opposing the Russian occupation.

In a similar case, a Russian-controlled court in occupied Crimea sentenced a 33-year-old man to 15 years in a strict regime penal colony on Dec. 9.

He was accused of state treason for allegedly passing information about Russian military equipment movements and a military facility under construction to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense between December 2022 and March 2023.

These actions reflect an ongoing crackdown by Russian occupation authorities against individuals they claim to be working against their forces in occupied Ukrainian territories.

Hungary did not discuss any Christmas truce, prisoner swap with Ukraine, Presidential Office says

The Hungarian side “did not discuss anything” with Ukraine and “did not warn about its contacts with Moscow,” said Dmytro Lytvyn, the presidential communications adviser, referring to Viktor Orban’s recent phone call with Vladimir Putin.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk