Authorities in Krasnodar, Russia, have arrested a 57-year-old airline captain on suspicion of financing Ukraine’s Armed Forces, report RIA Novosti and TASS, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB alleges that the pilot contacted a volunteer raising funds for Ukraine’s military and transferred money through an online platform. The amount of the donation has not been disclosed.
The pilot has been charged with treason. The FSB has not provided further details about the case, including when the arrest took place or the specific circumstances surrounding it.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the number of treason cases in Russia has risen annually. In 2023, President Vladimir Putin approved life imprisonment as the penalty for treason, replacing the previous sentence of 12 to 20 years. In December 2024, the State Duma passed amendments that could significantly broaden the legal definition of treason and other offenses.
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