Russia sentences Ukrainian man to 8.5 years in prison in first known case under new ‘aiding the enemy’ law
The Pskov Regional Court sentenced a Ukrainian citizen born in 1999 to eight years and six months in a maximum-security penal colony for “assisting the enemy in activities known to be directed against Russia’s security” under Article 276.1 of the Criminal Code, according to the court’s website.
A Ukrainian man born in 1999 was sentenced to eight years and six months in a maximum-security penal colony by the Pskov Regional Court. The court ruled that he had aided the enemy in activities against Russia’s security by sending money to foundations supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was also fined 500,000 rubles and his cellphone was seized.
The defendant, identified as Anton Demidenko, was arrested in July 2025, marking the first known case of using the new "aiding the enemy" law. Article 276.1, added to the Criminal Code in late 2024, criminalizes providing assistance to foreign states or organizations opposing Russia in armed conflicts. The minimum sentence for this law is ten years in prison, but Demidenko received a sentence below that minimum, the reason for which is unknown.
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