Russia abducts 18-year-old from occupied Melitopol, sentences her two years later to 18 years for photos of FSB
If Russia is allowed its way, Daria Kulik will have spent half her lifetime in Russian captivity when released. The young Ukrainian was just 18 when the Russians illegally occupying Melitopol seized her, and 20 when sentenced on 7 August 2025 to 18 years’ imprisonment. In Russia’s customary violation of international law, Kulik was illegally taken to Russia and put on ‘trial’ at the same Southern District Military Court in Rostov which has been passing huge sentences against Ukrainian political prisoners since 2014.
The Russian prosecution claimed that Daria Kulik had, at the end of July 2023, been contacted, via Messenger, by a person who introduced himself as from Ukraine’s Security Service [SBU], and suggested that she helped the SBU by gathering information and sending it to them about the deployment in Melitopol of Russian military personnel. Daria, who would have been 18 at the time, is supposed to have signed an agreement to help SBU and sent it to the person, described in the court’s press service report, as “a participant in a terrorist organization”. Russia has, since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, used its politically subservient ‘courts’ to label units of Ukraine’s Armed Forces ‘terrorist organizations’. Here it appears to be using this same bizarre label for Ukraine’s Security Service
On 3 August 2023, the young woman supposedly photographed a building holding employees of the Russian FSB in occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast and sent the photographs to the above-mentioned contact. In August 2023, supposedly on the instructions of this same “participant in a terrorist organization”, Kulik is supposed to have purchased in various Melitopol shops items and substances needed for preparing Molotov cocktails.
On 5 September 2023, she is claimed to have made a video of the building with the FSB employees and to have sent it to the “participant in a terrorist organization”. On that same day, she purportedly received instructions to pass the components for a Molotov cocktail mixture “to another person”. It is asserted that she began corresponding with this “other person” and also discussed the approximate place of the hiding place to hand over the items and substances. She is supposed to have taken the alleged components of Molotov cocktails to this hiding place “for the use by other individuals to carry out a terrorist act” on 6 September 2023, a week before she turned 19.
Daria Kulik was 17 when the Russians invaded and seized control of her city, and just 18 when ‘arrested’. Ukraine’s SBU almost certainly know, without receiving photos or videos, where Russia’s FSB are positioned in Melitopol, unless this is some extra, secret place, in which case it is not clear how the very young woman was supposed to know. It also seems improbable that the SBU would be placing young Ukrainians in danger for the sake of a Molotov cocktail or two.
It is possible that this was all a Russian FSB set-up, with Kulik targeted because she expressed pro-Ukrainian views on Messenger. This would not be the first time that very young people have been tricked in this way and then charged with so-called ‘terrorism’.
Purely on the basis of the above actions, Daria Kulik was charged with ‘a terrorist act’ or planning such an ‘act’, under Article 205 § 2a of Russia’s criminal code; with ‘involvement in a terrorist organization’ (Article 205.4 § 2); with explosives charges under Article 222.1 and with ‘state treason’, under Article 275.
She was sentenced on 7 August 2025 by ‘judge’ Vitaly Victorovich Mamedov to 18 years’ medium-security imprisonment and a massive 600 rouble fine.
The sentence is not final however an appeal would almost certainly be before a military court of appeal, probably that in Vlasikha (Moscow region) as willing to take part in politically motivated ‘trials’ as the Southern District Military Court.
Mediazona reports that Daria is currently held in SIZO-1, a remand prison which has become notorious in 2025 for its ill-treatment of Ukrainian political prisoners. The Ukrainian female political prisoners are, apparently, held separate from other prisoners, except when a Russian, arrested for her anti-war position, is added to the cell. One of Daria’s cellmates told Mediazona that Daria is “a wonderful person, a sportswoman, karate champion. She likes to draw; is creative and active.”
Ukrainian female political prisoners who are now at SIZO-1, or were until recently.
Daria Kulik (b. 13 September 2004)
Natalia Vlasova (b. 1981)
Anna Voshkoder (b. 1997)
Anna Murdid (b. 1974)
Anastasia Todurova (b. 1995)
Russia sentences Mariupol mother of four to 14 years on 'terrorism' and ‘treason’ charges
Aliona Holtvenko (b. 1985)
Mariupol ex-policewoman sentenced to 18 years for opposing Russia’s war against Ukraine
Kateryna Korovina (b. 1996)
Valentyna Zaiarna (b. 1960)
Anzhela Nikolenko (b. 1980)
Larysa Malovychko (b. 1968)