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Russian Court Extends Detention of Pilot Accused of Transmitting Cryptocurrency to Ukrainian Navy
A Russian court has extended the detention period of a commercial pilot who was apprehended for allegedly transferring cryptocurrency to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) detained the individual in Krasnodar, Southern Russia, on charges of “treason” late last month.
Pilot Allegedly Sent Crypto to Ukraine, Claims FSB
At the end of January, a court ruled that the FSB could keep the pilot in custody until February 16, 2025.
A public square in Krasnodar, Russia. (Source: Maska999 [CC BY-SA 4.0])
However, the state-affiliated newspaper RIA Novosti, citing a “source within the security agencies,” reported that a court has extended the detention period “until April 16.”
The FSB asserts that the pilot converted rubles into an unspecified “cryptocurrency” on “an online platform.”
The agency stated that the individual was “the captain of a civil aircraft.” It alleged that the suspect “contacted a person involved in raising funds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The FSB claims that the pilot then “followed the contact’s instructions” to “exchange Russian rubles for cryptocurrency via an online platform.”
The pilot reportedly “transferred the funds” to a “designated” crypto wallet managed by Ukrainian military personnel.
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Hundreds of Russians Charged With Assisting Ukrainian Military
In January, Reuters (via CNN) reported that according to the Russian legal association Pervy Otdel, the Russian authorities have charged 792 individuals with “treason, espionage, or collaborating with a foreign state” since the onset of conflict in Ukraine in February 2022.
This figure includes numerous crypto-related cases. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have been utilizing crypto wallets as donation platforms since early 2022.
The International Energy Agency has revised its forecast for Russia’s oil production this year by only a slight margin despite extensive western energy sanctions https://t.co/z38S8JPr1L
— Bloomberg (@business) February 13, 2025
Crypto Donations
Many Russians who are sympathetic to Ukraine appear to have utilized these channels to contribute cryptocurrency.
Nevertheless, the FSB and law enforcement agencies claim they have developed advanced blockchain analytics tools that enable them to monitor transactions on major protocols.
This, they assert, has aided them in identifying and apprehending individuals in Russia who have sent funds to Ukrainian military wallets.
In recent months, the FSB has detained and charged a scientist based in Moscow for similar alleged offenses.
It has also arrested a resident of Khabarovsk Krai on related charges, as well as a diamond miner, who was taken into custody last month.
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