Russian delivery driver Sergei Loktev has been sentenced to 16 years after photographing vehicles displaying pro-war symbols for Ukrainian intelligence services.
The Second Western District Military Court handed down the sentence against Loktev, a delivery driver from Murom, after convicting him of high treason and participation in a terrorist organization, state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the court press service.
Investigators said Loktev joined online channels managed by Ukrainian special service representatives no later than June 2022. The channels were set up to collect information on Russian citizens who support Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
Between June 2022 and May 2023, Loktev took photographs of at least 41 vehicles carrying the Z symbol. The photos included visible license plates capable of identifying the vehicle owners, which he then transmitted to the Ukrainian channels.
In addition to transmitting vehicle data, Loktev became a supporter of Artpodgotovka, an organization banned in Russia as a terrorist group, in September 2021. He received an official membership card from the movement in April 2023.
Arrest and legal proceedings
Law enforcement officers detained Loktev on April 4, 2024. During legal proceedings, he partially admitted guilt by agreeing to the physical facts of his actions while disputing their legal classification as treason.
Loktev said he believed he was sending the photographs solely for statistical purposes. He currently states that he supports the special military operation.
The court ordered Loktev to serve 15 years of imprisonment and one year of restricted freedom, alongside a fine of 300,000 rubles. Under the ruling, he will spend the first three years of his term in a prison facility and the remaining period in a strict regime penal colony. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
Background and previous cases
Murom is an ancient city located in the Vladimir region of western Russia along the Oka River. The letter Z has served as a primary public symbol of support for Russian military actions in Ukraine. Russian authorities designated Artpodgotovka, a movement founded by opposition figure Vyacheslav Maltsev, as a terrorist organization and banned its activities nationwide.
The Second Western District Military Court previously sentenced 41-year-old entrepreneur Alexander Akelkin, from the Moscow region, to eight years in prison for financing terrorism. Akelkin is listed on Russia's official register of terrorists and extremists.
