Moscow Court Hands Down 15- and 17-Year Prison Sentences to Couple Accused of Treason Over Photos of Military Buildings

A Moscow court has sentenced 38-year-old Valeria Yegorova to 17 years in prison and her husband, 42-year-old Pavel Korotich, to 15 years after finding them guilty of treason for allegedly photographing the facades and signs of Russian Defense Ministry buildings.

According to the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, Yegorova was also convicted of money laundering and drug possession. In addition to her lengthy prison term, she was fined 100,000 rubles.

The court ruled that Yegorova will serve her sentence in a general regime penal colony, while Korotich will be sent to a high-security facility.

Prosecutors allege that in May 2023, Yegorova made contact with a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence and received instructions to collect and transmit information about the locations, functions, real names, organizational structure, and security measures of Russian military sites in Moscow and the Moscow region.

From May 2023 to February 2024, according to the prosecution, Yegorova systematically photographed and filmed the exteriors, fences, signage, and even employees of Defense Ministry properties. Korotich, authorities say, served as her lookout and driver during these reconnaissance missions.

The indictment further claims that Yegorova tried to legitimize payments by conducting five separate transactions in which she sold cryptocurrency received for her espionage work and transferred the proceeds to bank cards belonging to herself and her husband.

During a search of the couple’s residence, police discovered a powdery substance containing more than 0.3 grams of amphetamine, leading to the drug possession charge against Yegorova.

It remains unclear when the criminal investigation was initially launched. According to court records, Yegorova and Korotich were arrested on March 1, 2024.

The high-profile case underscores Russia’s ongoing crackdown on alleged espionage activities in the context of its conflict with Ukraine.