A Murmansk regional court on 19 May sentenced Vladimir Grabovetskyy, a resident of Severomorsk, to 14 years in a penal colony and Ukrainian citizen Polina Kuzmina, who resided in Moscow, to 12 years on charges related to financing Ukraine's armed forces. The verdicts were reported by Russian media citing the FSB directorate of the Northern Fleet.
Grabovetskyy was found guilty of state treason. Kuzmina was convicted of aiding and abetting in state treason. Both were also fined: 450,000 rubles and 400,000 rubles respectively.
The scheme, according to prosecutors
According to the prosecution, Grabovetskyy "was against the full-scale war against Ukraine" and "developed a plan" to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine. To carry out the transfers, he recruited Kuzmina, who had the means to send money to Ukraine through her relatives there.
Between December 2022 and May 2024, the two carried out 78 transfers. The funds, prosecutors allege, "were used to purchase equipment, special gear, and weapons, including drones and vehicles."
Context: A record year for treason convictions
The case fits a broader pattern documented by the Russian human rights project Pervyi Otdel (First Department). According to the organization, 2025 was a record year for convictions under articles covering state treason, espionage, and confidential cooperation with foreigners: Russian courts handed down 468 sentences under those statutes. There were no acquittals.
