Court in occupied Zaporizhzhia sentences two women to 12 and 13 years over donations to Ukrainian forces

A court in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia has sentenced two women to lengthy prison terms for transferring funds to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to court records.

The individuals are Olena Maksymenko, born in 1977, and Viktoriia Tkachenko, born in 1972. Both were found guilty of treason under Russian law. Olena Maksymenko was sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony, while Viktoriia Tkachenko received 12 years.

Viktoriia Tkachenko, who lived in Tokmak, obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 following the occupation. The court said she remained in contact with women who had left the occupied territory and who provided her with links to pro-Ukrainian channels. Investigators alleged she was subsequently ‘inspired by the idea of providing assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through financial transfers’.

In May 2024, she transferred 1,000 hryvnia (approximately 2,229 roubles) via a Ukrainian banking application from her account to that of a Ukrainian serviceman.

Olena Maksymenko, also a resident of Tokmak and a holder of Russian citizenship, was described in court materials as having a third-group disability. The court stated that, as an opponent of the so-called ‘special military operation’, she decided to provide financial support to Ukrainian forces. Between December 2023 and June 2025, she allegedly transferred a total of 24,220 roubles. Prosecutors also claimed she posted messages in a Telegram channel calling for financial support for Ukrainian troops and for the destruction of Russian servicemen.

Both cases were treated as treason by the court.