Student from Taganrog convicted of treason

The court has sentenced Vladislav Poruchikov, a student from Taganrog, to nine years in jail, finding him guilty of treason and attempting to get recruited into a terrorist organization.

According to investigators, after the start of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine, Vladislav Poruchikov, began studying Ukrainian information resources, which is why he had developed a negative attitude towards Russia and the SMO. In February 2023, he decided to join the Russian Freedom Legion that fights on the Ukrainian side, which is recognized as terrorist organization and banned in Russia.

Poruchikov went abroad in order to apply for the Legion, as he feared that his message could be intercepted by Russian intelligence services. He went first to Belarus and then to Tbilisi. Without waiting for a response to his application, Poruchikov moved to Belgorod, the "Kommersant" has reported.

Then he again contacted recruiters; they instructed him to arrive on June 2, 2023, in the city of Grayvoron. On the meeting day, Poruchikov was detained by policemen for appearing drunk in a public place. After this, he tried to contact his recruiters again, but no one answered him. Then he himself went towards the border and was detained – again due to alcohol abuse. He was arrested.

Further, FSB agents got interested in Poruchikov. He pleaded guilty to treason, but said that he did not know that the organization he had planned to join was banned in Russia and recognized as terrorist.

The "Caucasian Knot" has also reported that a court in Voronezh sentenced Alexander Shevchenko, a resident of the Rostov Region, to 24 years and four months of freedom deprivation. He tried to get to Ukraine to take part in hostilities against Russian troops there, the FSB then reported.