A 64-year-old pensioner in Zaporozhye Oblast has been sent for trial on high treason charges after allegedly receiving drone-delivered explosives for Ukrainian military intelligence.
The regional prosecutor's office announced that the local resident was indicted under Russian criminal laws covering state treason and the illegal handling of explosives by an organized group using the internet.
Investigators said the defendant established contact with a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence through a messaging application in December 2023 and agreed to cooperate with foreign agents.
Drone deliveries and explosives stashes
Between February and August 2024, the woman acted on instructions from her handler to collect explosives and components designed for improvised explosive devices. The materials were delivered directly to her using unmanned aerial vehicles.
After receiving the air-dropped supplies, the accused set up several hidden caches across Zaporozhye Oblast. Prosecutors said she recorded the geographical coordinates of each stash site and transmitted them back to her intelligence curator.
Officers from the Federal Security Service, Russia's primary domestic security agency, detected the illicit operation and halted her activities. Security personnel seized all the explosive devices and components from the secret storage locations.
Regional context and security charges
Zaporozhye Oblast is a strategic region in southeastern Ukraine that became a central battleground following Russia's full-scale military invasion in February 2022. Moscow declared the territory annexed later that year, though Russian forces control only part of the region, and heavy security measures remain in place.
Russian authorities have increasingly targeted local residents suspected of aiding Ukrainian forces or gathering intelligence behind the frontlines. High treason charges under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code carry lengthy prison sentences of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
The case also includes charges under Article 222.1 of the criminal code, which penalizes the illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, and carrying of explosives committed by a group using internet communications. Unmanned aerial vehicles have increasingly been deployed during the conflict for clandestine supply drops as well as reconnaissance and strikes.
Admission of guilt and upcoming trial
During questioning, the accused pensioner fully admitted her guilt and expressed remorse for her actions, according to statements from law enforcement authorities.
She remains remanded in custody while awaiting court proceedings. The regional prosecutor's office confirmed that the indictment has been finalized and the criminal case has been formally submitted to court for trial on its merits.
