Russian man, who tried to swim from Crimea to Odesa to fight for Ukraine, sentenced to six years in prison

The Russian-controlled Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced a 40-year-old resident of St. Petersburg to six years in prison. The man attempted to swim from Crimea to Odesa to join the war on Ukraine’s side.

According to the official investigation, in 2022, the man, whose name has been withheld, contacted a volunteer unit that works to recruit Russians and send them to Ukraine.

He first tried to exit Russia via the Bryansk region, but didn’t succeed. He then went to Crimea, where he decided to try to reach Odesa by swimming there. He bought a wetsuit, a wrist compass, an underwater flashlight, and other equipment.

He started swimming on August 6, taking with him a camouflage uniform, combat boots, and “other items, acquired to go over to the enemy side,” according to RAPSI, the Russian news agency for legal and judicial information.

The Crimean court’s press service reported that “the accused used various techniques for swimming and resting in the water, while taking measures to maintain secrecy, evading possible interception of his illegal activities by the border authorities of the Russian Federation.”

However, on August 8, he was caught and taken aboard a Russian border guard vessel near the village of Olenivka, in western Crimea.

The court found the St. Petersburg resident guilty of planning treason and attempting to cross the Russian border without permission.