Russian miner jailed for helping with cryptocurrencies for Ukraine

A Russian diamond miner has been convicted and sentenced to seven years in a high-security prison in St. Petersburg. He allegedly used cryptocurrency to support the Ukrainian armed forces. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused him of high treason, alleging that he had harmed Russian national security.

The man was born in 1988. He lived in the Merninsky district of Yakutia. He worked for a diamond mining company. According to the FSB, he transferred money to a Ukrainian military unit using cryptocurrency several times. The Federal Security Service accuses this unit of financing reconnaissance and sabotage operations against Russia.

The FSB said that a Ukrainian military unit contacted the man via social media. Ukrainian officers reportedly gave him detailed instructions on how to act Bitcoin Transactions to certain wallets belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

FSB accuses man of treason over cryptocurrency transfers

The Federal Security Service accused the man, according to Art. 275 of the Criminal Code of Russia, which relates to acts of treason. This includes providing financial assets to a foreign country or organization involved in activities deemed unfriendly to Russia. The crime carries serious penalties, including long prison terms.

The Federal Security Service spokeswoman said in her statement that the convict’s actions represented an attempt to “join a terrorist organization.” He also said that the money he transferred was spent on activities that posed a threat to Russian interests.

This is not the first arrest in Russia Linked to alleged cryptocurrency financing in Ukraine. Last week, FSB officers arrested a man in Yanakiev, Donetsk region, on the same charges. The man was also accused of transferring money to Ukrainian e-wallets.

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Russian oil producers and tankers, targeting revenues that Moscow used to finance its war with Ukraine, forcing Chinese and Indian refiners to scour the world for other suppliers. https://t.co/XDZcKBol65 pic.twitter.com/N4Zgprk3jW

– Reuters (@Reuters) January 13, 2025

In recent years, Federal Security Service He has prosecuted several people for using cryptocurrencies to support Ukraine. The defendants include a Moscow-based scientist and two residents of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia’s Far East. In all of these cases, the suspects were arrested on charges of high treason and transferring funds through DeFi.

Cryptocurrency has played a crucial role since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022. The Ukrainian military has received millions of dollars from high-profile individual sponsors and several low-profile crowdfunding initiatives through approved cryptocurrency charitable portals.

Vietnam and Russia sign a non-binding agreement on nuclear energy and cooperation agreements in the field of marine research and technology, during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. https://t.co/6DcxQ83iZX

– Bloomberg (@business) January 14, 2025

On the other hand, Russian security services have increased monitoring and scrutiny of financial activities interpreted as supporting Ukraine. Silencing cryptocurrency donations is part of efforts to prevent anyone in Russia from supporting Ukraine.

The situation shows that Cryptocurrencies They can be used in contemporary warfare as tools that help Internet users escape traditional rules and regulations. It also illustrates to Russia the government’s overall concerns regarding internal dissent and the use of new technologies to undermine power.