Yaroslavets decided to help the “representative of Ukraine” who wrote to him, “inspired” by Operation Web; The court sentenced the man to 14 years under the article of treason

The Yaroslavl Regional Court sentenced 39-year-old Nikolai Kharitonov, accused of high treason, to 14 years in a maximum security colony. The press service of the court reported this.

According to investigators, from September 2024 to July 2025, the man, on instructions from the Ukrainian special services, transmitted information via messenger about what measures were being introduced in the Yaroslavl region in the face of the threat of drone attacks and what air defense systems were there.

The court stated that Kharitonov also left a comment “discrediting” the Russian military in a channel “controlled by the Ukrainian special services.” Along with the real sentence, he was given a year of restriction of freedom after leaving the colony.

Judging by the photograph of Kharitonov, which was published by RIA Novosti, this is one of two residents of the Yaroslavl region whose detention the FSB reported in August 2025. In the video of the security forces, the man then said that in May of the same year, a “representative of Ukraine” named Nikolai began communicating with him in a telegram, who “wanted to find out the location of air defense systems at the refinery.”

“He promised to pay me in cryptocurrency and help me obtain a European passport. I told him that, yes, we have such air defense systems. Then, after watching the content on YouTube, inspired by Operation Web , which was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, I wrote to Nikolai that I was ready to provide more information. Then he suggested that I take measurements of cellular signals to determine where they are jamming and where they are not jamming,” Kharitonov told the security forces.

At the same time, another detainee spoke about comments “discrediting” the army. Kharitonov spoke only about communication with “Nikolai”.