A Russian woman has been arrested on suspicion of financially supporting the Ukrainian army, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced. The case is being handled by the agency’s branch in Kherson Region.
The suspect reportedly contributed multiple times to Kiev’s military efforts since June 2023, which she confirmed during questioning by law enforcement. The FSB claims she knew her donations would be used to procure weapons and equipment for Ukrainian forces. She has been charged with state treason.
Among other things, the FSB is responsible for domestic counterintelligence and regularly reports successful investigations against alleged Ukrainian agents. Last week, it announced the arrest of a Russian official who is accused of supplying Kiev with intelligence about the measures taken to fortify industrial and energy sites in border regions against possible attacks.
In mid-March, the FSB reported thwarting a Ukrainian plot to target Russian military service members and officials with bomb parcels. The explosive devices disguised as perfume sets were discovered by the postal service and traced back to a Russian citizen in his early 20s, the agency stated.
The armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia originated from the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, which empowered radical nationalists. Many ethnic Russians in the east of the country rejected the new authorities, leading to failed attempts by the Ukrainian government to suppress the rebels with military force.
Hostilities persisted for years as various reconciliation efforts supported by Moscow faltered, while Ukraine bolstered its military capabilities with NATO assistance. In early 2022, Moscow launched a pre-emptive operation aimed at protecting Donbass rebels. In autumn 2022, Russia facilitated referendums in four regions under its control, where residents overwhelmingly favored breaking away from Ukraine and aligning with Russia, although Kiev dismissed the votes as fraudulent.
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