Russian Court Upholds 21-Year Sentence for Former Belgorod Official
Russia's 'Most Beautiful Terrorist' Sentenced to 21 Years
12.01.2026 13:42
The Military Court of Appeal in the Moscow Region town of Vlasikha has upheld the conviction of former Belgorod regional administration employee Victoria Shinkaruk, finding her guilty of aiding terrorist activities. The ruling confirms the earlier verdict and brings the case to a legal conclusion.
The court rejected all appeals filed by Shinkaruk and her defense team, thereby allowing the sentence to enter into full legal force. Shinkaruk has been included by Rosfinmonitoring in Russia's official register of extremists and terrorists.
Appeal Rejected, Verdict Enters into Force
The original sentence was handed down in December 2024 by the 2nd Western District Military Court. Prosecutors requested a 21-year prison term, which the court imposed in full, along with a fine of 1.5 million rubles.
The case attracted significant public attention after the Telegram channel Baza referred to Shinkaruk as the "most beautiful terrorist,” a characterization that sparked controversy but had no bearing on the legal proceedings.
 |
| Former official Victoria Shinkaruk, dubbed “the most beautiful terrorist,” has been found guilty of participating in a terrorist organization, illegal handling of explosives, smuggling of strategically important goods, preparing to manufacture explosives, and planning a terrorist attack. She was sentenced to 21 years in prison today. |
Seven Criminal Charges Including Terrorism
Shinkaruk was convicted under seven articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including attempted terrorist attack, participation in a terrorist organization, and illegal trafficking of explosive materials.
Throughout the trial, Shinkaruk denied any criminal intent. She claimed that her actions were carried out at the request of her former husband and that she was unaware of any terrorist purpose.
"She did not know whom the money was intended for or how it would be used,” her defense lawyer Artem Rydvanov argued.
According to the defense, Shinkaruk's former husband, who was allegedly located in Ukraine, transferred 107,000 rubles to her account. She was instructed to pass 100,000 rubles to a third party and retain the remainder for herself.
Investigation Points to Organized Terrorist Activity
Investigators identified a second suspect in the case, locksmith Alexander Kholodkov, who was also added to the extremist and terrorist registry. Authorities believe the two acted in coordination with handlers based in Ukraine.
According to investigators, the suspects were involved in transferring explosive substances to hidden caches and delivering approximately 500,000 rubles intended to support preparations for a terrorist attack.
The funds were allegedly used to support unidentified members of a terrorist network operating on Russian territory.
Co-Defendant Receives Identical Sentence
Kholodkov was also sentenced to 21 years in prison and fined 1.5 million rubles. He is required to serve the first five years in prison, with the remainder of the term to be served in a high-security penal colony.
Like Shinkaruk, he refused to plead guilty.
The court's decision marks the final legal outcome in one of the most high-profile terrorism cases involving a former regional official in recent years.
No comments:
Post a Comment