Russia sentences an IT specialist to 13 years for donating to Ukraine’s military. Binance helped investigators prove their case.
The Second Western District Military Court has sentenced Yuri Belenky, a 49-year-old IT specialist, to 13 years in prison for financing terrorism, the human rights group Department One reported.
Bulgarian IT professional Yuri Belenky has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Western District Military Court in Russia. The sentence stems from his alleged financial support of Ukraine's military efforts. Belenky, 49, will serve the initial three years in a high-security penal colony, with the remainder of his term followed by confinement in a penal colony.
The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles, equivalent to approximately $5,700, and ordered the seizure of an additional 126,000 rubles. Belenky, who had resided in Bulgaria since 2015 and frequently traveled to Russia, was apprehended at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in September 2025. Initially held for petty hooliganism, he was subsequently charged with financing terrorism.
The accusations arose from donations made to an account whose details were exposed by blogger Arkady Babchenko. Russian investigators utilized a comprehensive report provided by cryptocurrency exchange Binance to substantiate their allegations.
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