Russian Soldier Sentenced for Ukraine Blogger Interviews
- Pavel Guguyev, a Russian soldier, received a four-year sentence in a penal colony for disclosing data to a Ukrainian national, Mediazona reported on October 6, 2025.
- The Moscow City Court found Guguyev guilty of "confidential cooperation" with foreign nationals, according to Mediazona's report.
- Before his deployment to Ukraine, Guguyev was already serving a 12-year sentence for murder, bodily harm, and theft.
Russian Soldier Sentenced After Interviews with Ukrainian Blogger
Background
Pavel Guguyev, a Russian soldier, received a four-year sentence in a penal colony for disclosing data to a Ukrainian national, Mediazona reported on October 6, 2025.
The Moscow City Court found Guguyev guilty of “confidential cooperation” with foreign nationals, according to Mediazona’s report.
Prior Incarceration and Military Service
Before his deployment to Ukraine, Guguyev was already serving a 12-year sentence for murder, bodily harm, and theft. He had two years remaining on his original sentence when he signed a military contract and joined the invasion of Ukraine.
Guguyev was captured while fighting in Ukraine.
Interviews and Criticism
while held in captivity, Guguyev gave an interview to Ukrainian blogger Dmitry Karpenko, detailing meaningful Russian losses on the battlefield; the interview gained widespread attention. After being released in a prisoner exchange and returning to Russia in July 2023, Guguyev gave a second interview to karpenko.
In his second interview, Guguyev again criticized Russia’s military leadership and alleged that officials had pressured him to claim his first interview was given “under pressure” from the Ukrainian side.
Recent Arrest and Sentencing
Guguyev was arrested again in June 2024 and held in pre-trial detention, as reported by Mediazona. This led to the recent four-year sentence.