A Russian citizen from Yakutia has been sentenced to seven years in prison for financing the Ukrainian Armed Forces by sending cryptocurrencies to his account.

According to Russian media Izvestiathe man is currently being held in a high-security detention facility for providing financial assistance to the armed forces Ukraine or AFU. This represents the first public ruling in Russian Court involving the use of cryptocurrency to finance an opposition military organization.

“A criminal case under Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was opened and investigated against a resident born in 1988,” the FSB Directorate of the Sakha Republic said in a press release.

The man is accused of "high treason in the form of providing financial assistance to a foreign state, international or foreign organization," which is considered against the security of the Russian government.

The Russian man's identity remains unknown, but he is said to be a resident of the Republic of Sakha - also known as Yakutia - and works for a diamond mining company. According to information contained in the press conference held by the FSB Directorate, the man joined a group on social media that linked him to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Through the group, he received instructions on how to transfer money through a crypto wallet to help fund the AFU, which the Russian Federation considers a “terrorist organization.”

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukraine has continued to receive millions in donations Cryptocurrency. Throughout 2024, Ukraine recorded a more than 362% increase in decentralized financial transactions that exceeded $10 million by October.

In fact, last December, Ukraine Announce It plans to legalize cryptocurrencies in early 2025. However, the proposed law reportedly treats cryptocurrencies like securities, meaning they will still be taxable once they are converted into traditional currency. The government has claimed that it will not use tax breaks to prevent abuse, as it continues to consult with experts and the International Monetary Fund on the issue.

In addition, the Ukrainian government also He wants Imposing sanctions on Russia's use of Bitcoin (Bitcoin) to make international payments after the Russian Finance Minister announced that the country is using cryptocurrencies to circumvent Western sanctions.