Over 4,000 Face Politically Motivated Prosecution in Russia Over War Stance

According to data compiled by human rights defenders, at least 4,029 individuals have had politically motivated criminal cases initiated against them in Russia due to their stance on the war as of February 18. This figure includes both Russian and Ukrainian citizens.

Approximately one-third of those prosecuted are Ukrainian nationals. Rights groups report knowing the identities of at least 551 Ukrainian civilians and 726 Ukrainian military personnel facing charges. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, at least 39 Ukrainians have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

A total of 3,059 people remain in custody. Russian courts have already delivered 2,730 verdicts in such cases, with 2,302 resulting in actual prison sentences. The authors of the research note that there have been no acquittals in these proceedings.

The highest number of cases has been recorded in Kursk Oblast (346 individuals). This is followed by the Russian-controlled part of Donetsk Oblast (289), Moscow and the Moscow region (249), and annexed Crimea (212). In total, across occupied territories—including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol—899 people have faced prosecution.

Russian citizens are most frequently charged with treason (473 people), terrorism (317), and public calls for terrorism or its justification (298). Ukrainians are primarily accused of treason (199 people), terrorism (159), and espionage (125).

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the war's start in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with BBC that he views the military actions on his country's territory as the beginning of a global conflict. He asserted that Vladimir Putin has already unleashed a Third World War—it simply hasn't been officially declared yet.