Russia jails IT worker for 13 years for donating money to Ukraine
A Russian military court has sentenced 49-year-old IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy to 13 years in prison for financing 'terrorism' after cryptocurrency exchange Binance shared his donation data with Russian authorities.
The 2nd Western District Military Court on Monday convicted Belenkiy, a former IT director of DiHouse, and sentenced him to three years in prison followed by 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony. Prosecutors had sought a 14-year sentence, and Belenkiy was also fined 500,000 roubles ($6,300).
Belenkiy, who holds a Bulgarian residence permit, was detained in September 2025 when he flew to Moscow for a visit. He denied the charges, and his defense team plans to appeal the verdict, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Donation Details
According to RIA Novosti, the court found that between August 2022 and March 2024, Belenkiy made 15 cryptocurrency transfers worth more than 120,000 roubles ($1,500) to fund Ukraine's armed forces and the Azov battalion, which Russia designates a 'terrorist' organization. He used payment details posted by Babchenko, a Kremlin critic.
The response from Binance serves as key evidence in the criminal case against Belenkiy.
Binance's Role
Russian law enforcement documents showed that Binance provided investigators with Belenkiy's transaction history in response to a Russian request. The exchange had pulled out of the Russian market in 2023 after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions.
In court, the defense questioned whether the data really came from Binance, noting the exchange hasn't cooperated with Russia since 2022. Binance declined to comment on individual cases but stated it "does not make or enforce the laws of any jurisdiction" and doesn't comment on confidential law enforcement requests.
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