12 years and 530 grams. Russian court’s treason verdict in occupied Crimea separates mother from premature baby requiring lung surgery In August 2025, Viktoria Strilets and her daughter Alexandra were sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Russian court in Sevastopol for high treason, accused of sending photographs of Russian military installations to a Ukrainian intelligence-linked Telegram channel. The case, pieced together from family letters, highlights Viktoria’s battle with multiple sclerosis and Alexandra’s situation as a mother of two, including a premature infant in intensive care, whose request for a sentence deferment was denied.

• Viktoria Strilets and her daughter Alexandra were sentenced to 12 years for high treason in Sevastopol in August 2025.
• They are accused of sending photographs of Russian military installations to a Telegram channel linked to Ukraine’s military intelligence.
• Viktoria suffers from multiple sclerosis, and Alexandra has two young daughters, one of whom was born prematurely and required intensive care.
• The court denied Alexandra’s request to defer her sentence until her infant daughter turns 14.
• Viktoria admitted to taking photos and sending them to her daughter for financial gain but claims they did not fully follow through with the plan.
• Their appeal is scheduled to be heard in January 2026.