A grim new record

Russian courts convicted over 460 people of treason and espionage in 2025, according to a new report

Since the start of Moscow’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian courts have convicted more than 1,000 people on charges of treason and espionage, according to a new study by analyst Kirill Parubets conducted for the human rights group Department One. In 2025 alone, courts handed down 468 such verdicts — the highest annual figure since 1997, when Russia’s current Criminal Code came into force. Meduza shares the main takeaways from the report.

As of December 10, 2025, at least 1,627 people had been defendants in criminal cases brought by Russian courts on charges of “treason” or “espionage.” More than 1,000 of those cases were brought during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. About one-third of them, or 564 people, are Ukrainian citizens.

At least 420 of these defendants currently remain under investigation, with 179 of their cases already submitted to courts.

In most instances, the charges are directly linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine. In 2025, an overwhelming majority of verdicts involving accusations of “undermining the constitutional order” — 78 percent — were issued under the Criminal Code’s treason article.

There wasn’t a single acquittal in cases brought under espionage or treason charges in 2025. Four defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, six were subjected to compulsory psychiatric treatment, and three others convicted on these charges died in custody.

According to Department One, the way the Russian authorities prosecute alleged espionage has changed significantly since the start of the full-scale invasion. Today, espionage charges are one of the Kremlin’s most common tools of political persecution.

“These charges are almost always brought against people who had no access to state secrets,” the study notes. “Evidence is often based on contact with provocateurs, small donations, or alleged intent to commit a crime. These cases are typically heard behind closed doors, effectively eliminating public oversight of the judicial process.”

The secrecy surrounding these proceedings makes it difficult for researchers not only to establish the substance of the accusations but even to obtain basic information about the defendants, including their identities and places of detention.

Department One also notes that prosecutions for treason and espionage are now taking place across Russia’s entire territory, as well as in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied areas.

The largest group of defendants in espionage and treason cases consists of Russian citizens with no apparent ties to political activity, including students, IT specialists, teachers, industrial workers, and entrepreneurs. The second-largest group comprises Ukrainian citizens, primarily residents of occupied territories. The third includes anti-war and civic activists, as well as members of the academic community.

The youngest known defendant to be charged with treason is Valentin Tsyganok, born in 2008; he was 17 at the time of his arrest. The oldest is scientist Valery Zvegintsev, aged 80. At least 16 percent of defendants are women.

From 2024 to 2025, the median sentence handed down under Russia’s espionage and treason articles rose from 12 to 15 years.