Russian Nuclear Scientist Gets 18 Years in Prison for $13 Crypto Donation to Ukraine-Linked Groups

A Russian court has sentenced nuclear engineer Ruslan Shadiyev to 18 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of “state treason” and “aiding terrorist activity.” The verdict by the Second Western District Military Court has officially entered into force, according to The Moscow Times on October 8.

Investigators claim that in 2023, Shadiyev—then a senior research engineer at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center (RFNC–VNIIEF) in Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region—transferred around 1,200 rubles (about $13) from his cryptocurrency wallet to the “Freedom of Russia Legion” and the “Russian Volunteer Corps.” Both groups, composed of Russian citizens fighting on Ukraine’s side, are designated as terrorist organizations in Russia.

Prosecutors also alleged that part of the funds went to “Idite Lesom,” a human rights project that helps Russians avoid military conscription.

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During the trial, Shadiyev pleaded for leniency, saying he had been unaware of the recipients’ status and believed he was donating to people in need. In an effort to mitigate his sentence, his relatives reportedly sold property and donated several million rubles to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Nevertheless, the court rejected the defense’s appeal, upholding the sentence. Shadiyev’s lawyers intend to challenge the ruling before the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court.

His case reflects a broader crackdown in Russia under laws on “treason” and “espionage.” According to data from the Kirill Parubets Analytical Center, Russian courts issued 224 treason-related convictions in just the first half of 2025 — the highest number in modern Russian history.

In total, 232 people have faced prosecution under these charges this year. Statistically, that means Russian courts handed down nearly two convictions per working day (1.98) in the first six months of 2025. For comparison, 167 people were convicted under similar articles in 2023, and 143 in the first half of 2024. Every verdict was guilty, and all defendants received prison sentences, The Moscow Times wrote.

Previously, it was reported that Russia is turning back to Soviet-era psychiatric methods to silence anti-war voices, according to Reuters citing a UN report on September 22.

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