Russian engineer sentenced to 16 years for high treason in favor of Ukraine

Danil Mukhametov, a 32-year-old engineer employed by Uralvagonzavod, one of Russia's leading tank manufacturers, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for high treason by a court in the Urals. He was accused of passing sensitive military and technical information to Ukrainian intelligence.

Arrested in 2023 by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Mukhametov worked at the strategic plant located in Nizhny Tagil, a key industrial center for the production of military equipment in Russia. At his trial, he partially admitted his guilt, which did not prevent the Sverdlovsk Regional Court from handing down a harsh prison sentence in a harsh regime camp.

Victoria Mukhametova, the engineer’s wife, also employed by Uralvagonzavod, was already sentenced last October to 12 and a half years in prison on similar charges. The case is part of a series of high-profile prosecutions by the Russian government since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Accusations of treason, espionage and terrorism have intensified, leading to increasingly harsh prison sentences. In addition, thousands of Russian citizens have been prosecuted, punished or imprisoned for their opposition to the conflict.

The verdict, issued on Tuesday, underlines the determination of the Russian authorities to suppress actions perceived as threats to national security, particularly in times of war.