Russia sentences two residents of occupied Mykhailivka to lengthy prison terms

The Russian occupation authorities have announced the verdict for two residents of the temporarily occupied city of Mykhailivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. According to the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation, Nataliia Tseluiko was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment in a general-regime colony, while her acquaintance Muira Zdor was sentenced to eight years.

Charges of links with intelligence

According to the Russian investigation, between October 2023 and February 2024, Nataliia Tseluiko allegedly had contact with a man whom the occupiers identify as an "employee of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine". Official Moscow claims that the woman passed on information about the location of Russian military units and equipment in the territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In addition, the prosecution alleges that Tseluiko agreed to prepare a "terrorist act" against representatives of the occupation police.

Incident involving a cache of explosives

According to the case materials, on 28 May 2024, Tseluiko allegedly received instructions to retrieve components for making improvised explosive devices from a cache and pass them on to other participants in the conspiracy. To transport these items, she involved Muira Zdor, while, according to the court, she did not inform her of her involvement in the so-called "terrorist community".

On 5 June 2024, the women arrived at the cache, where Tseluiko placed the explosives in Zdor's car. It was at that moment, according to the Russian side, that they were discovered and detained by officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation.

Details of the detention and verdict

On 20 October, pro-Russian propagandist Volodymyr Rogov published a video recording on Telegram with a reference to the FSB of the Russian Federation. The accompanying text stated that during the detention, 1.62 kg of explosives was allegedly seized from the defendants.

Nataliia Tseluiko was found guilty under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: high treason, participation in a "terrorist community", preparation of a "terrorist act", and illegal circulation of explosives. The total sentence amounted to 16 years in a colony and a fine of 500,000 rubles.

Muira Zdor was sentenced by the court only for the illegal circulation of explosives or devices. She was given 8 years in a general-regime colony and a fine of 300,000 rubles.