Russia Sentences Ukrainian Woman to 10 Years in Russian-Occupied Kherson

Russian court in the occupied part of the Kherson region has sentenced Ukrainian Iryna Horobtsova to 10 years in a general regime colony on charges of alleged "espionage."

This was reported by the Russian General Prosecutor's Office.

Iryna Horobtsova was abducted on May 13, 2022, on her birthday, from her home in Kherson where she lived with her parents. The family discovered that after being illegally held in Kherson, Iryna was taken to occupied Simferopol. Iryna's parents traveled to Simferopol, but their request to meet their daughter was denied.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Horobtsova is accused of gathering "strategically important information about the Russian Armed Forces units in the Kherson region and passing it to an employee of the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate." This information allegedly "could have been used to carry out fire strikes on Russian army positions."

The court sentenced Horobtsova to 10 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime correctional colony.

During Russian occupation of Kherson, Iryna Horobtsova actively spoke out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also attended pro-Ukrainian rallies. Iryna helped doctors reach their workplaces from the suburbs and distributed medicines to city residents.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights, informed Horobtsova's parents in a letter that Russia is reluctant to engage in the exchange or release of Ukrainian civilians.

This is not the first time Russia has illegally sentenced Ukrainians in Russian occupied territories.