The Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation announced on April 28 the verdict for two residents of temporarily occupied Melitopol — Denis Hlushchenko and Oleksandr Malyshev. Both were sentenced to 26 years in prison, accused of committing a terrorist act, participating in a terrorist community, and espionage. The first five years of their sentence will be served in prison, while the remainder will be served in a strict regime colony.
This is reported by Finway
Case Details: Charges and Court Proceedings
The investigation by the Russian Federation claims that Hlushchenko and Malyshev allegedly established contact with representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in 2022. According to the prosecution, in February 2023, they, along with other members of the “terrorist community,” were involved in collecting and verifying information about houses where Russian military personnel might be located.
“According to the prosecution, based on the data they collected about the locations of the FSB units and the National Guard of Russia, a missile and bomb strike was carried out, resulting in buildings being completely destroyed or partially damaged.”
Hlushchenko and Malyshev were detained by Russian security forces on October 17, 2023. During the court proceedings, according to the court’s press service, both defendants admitted their guilt.
Reaction and Sentencing Statistics in Russia
The Ukrainian side has not yet commented on the Russian court’s decision regarding the convicted individuals. According to Russian media, Oleksandr Malyshev holds Russian citizenship.
It is worth noting that, according to the human rights project “First Department,” the year 2025 became a record year for Russian courts in terms of the number of sentences for charges of treason, espionage, and collaboration with foreign states. Last year, 468 individuals were convicted under these articles, with no acquittals being issued.