A Ukrainian court has sentenced a 19-year-old woman, the daughter of a priest in eastern Ukraine, to 15 years in prison after convicting her of spying for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Ukrainian prosecutors.
CNN reported on Wednesday, Feb. 11, that Hrystyna Garkavenko livestreamed a road used by Ukrainian troops from inside her father’s church in Pokrovsk about Ukrainian military positions in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, to a Russian intelligence agent. She is currently serving her sentence in a penal colony.
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Prosecutors said Garkavenko livestreamed a road used by Ukrainian troops and transmitted geolocation data about military personnel and equipment to the FSB throughout 2024. She pleaded guilty in June and expressed remorse.
According to Pavlo Uhrovetsky, head of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the young woman developed more than a friendly relationship with the Russian agent who recruited her. In a phone interview from prison, Garkavenko told CNN she initially agreed to cooperate because she wanted to continue communicating with the agent. She declined to clarify whether their relationship was romantic.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has opened more than 3,800 treason investigations since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, CNN reported, citing Ukrainian officials. More than 1,200 individuals have been convicted.
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The operations are tactical rather than strategic in scope, analysts say, aimed at restoring frontline cohesion and capitalizing on weakened Russian command-and-control systems.
On average, those found guilty face 12 to 13 years in prison, though some receive life sentences.
Officials say Russian intelligence agencies frequently recruit Ukrainians through Telegram channels, often targeting unemployed individuals or those struggling with addiction. Initial tasks are described as minor before escalating to photographing military facilities or installing surveillance equipment.
Defense Ministry adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov also warned that Russian operatives have attempted to recruit Ukrainians to register Starlink satellite terminals for use by Russian forces, offering payments of about $300.
In her interview with CNN, Garkavenko said she hopes to be exchanged and relocate to Russia, where she has relatives. Prosecutors said some convicted collaborators believe they may be swapped for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.
Her father remains in Ukraine. According to CNN, he was shocked upon learning of her actions but has continued to support her.
Garkavenko said she regrets her actions. “I hurt my loved ones and, to some extent, ruined my own life,” she told CNN.