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The 2nd Western District Military Court has sentenced Nadyezhda Rossinskaya (Nadin Geisler), a volunteer from Belgorod who helped Ukrainian refugees, to 22 years in prison. This was reported by SOTAvision.

The day before, on 19 June, the prosecutor had requested a 27-year prison term for her.

‘The record among women in Russia is Darya Trepova, who received 27 years. They want to give me the same 27. I plan, of course, to ask the judge to let me go, but if he gives the sentence as the prosecution requested, I will ask for 27 years and one day, to set a new record in Russia,’ Rossinskaya commented on the prosecutor’s requested sentence (quote via SOTAvision).

Defence lawyers asked for the volunteer to be acquitted of all charges. Lawyer Evgeny Rudychev said that Rossinskaya had not committed the alleged crimes and had helped people ‘not just in a difficult life situation, but in real distress.’

Rossinskaya was detained on 1 February 2024 on a charge of calling for activities aimed against state security (part 2, article 280.4 of the Criminal Code). The next day, she was sent to pre-trial detention.

In the summer, a new case was opened against her—of facilitating terrorist activity (part 4, article 205.1 of the Criminal Code). Security forces claim she called online for donations for Ukraine’s Azov Battalion, recognised as a terrorist organisation in Russia. In January 2025, yet another charge was brought against her—on state treason (article 275 of the Criminal Code).

According to Rossinskaya, all the charges are linked to a single Instagram post published in August 2023. She stated that the account did not belong to her.

While in detention, Rossinskaya began having health problems. She reported severe headaches, tachycardia, worsening eyesight, and weakness so intense she was unable to stand. She also developed skin rashes.

11:03 Rossinskaya was also fined 320,000 roubles (approximately US$3,700), given one and a half years of restrictions on liberty after her sentence, and banned from administrating websites. This was reported by lawyer Alexei Pryanishnikov.

  • Nadyezhda Rossinskaya, a resident of Belgorod, created the “Army of Beauties” volunteer movement after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. ‘For several months, my team of volunteers and I have been helping residents of the Kharkiv region. We deliver food, medicine, and animal feed. We evacuate people and animals to Russia, and to Europe,’ says the community description on VKontakte.
  • In May 2023, the volunteer left Russia due to ‘threats and the prospect of arrest.’ On 1 February 2024, she returned from Georgia. Upon her return, she was detained immediately.