Soldier jailed for 15 years over Murmansk airfield sabotage
A Russian contract soldier has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for treason and sabotage after damaging an electronic warfare system at a military airfield in Murmansk region.
The Northern Fleet Military Court found the serviceman guilty of treason and sabotage against Russian Armed Forces facilities. The case forms part of a growing number of prosecutions for sabotage, treason and terrorism brought before Russian military courts since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to court documents, on 13 May 2025 the soldier was operating an electronic warfare (EW) system protecting a military airfield in Murmansk Oblast. Investigators claim that, seeking extra income, he began messaging an unknown contact on Telegram.
The serviceman allegedly photographed and sent the EW system’s maintenance schedule to his contact. Prosecutors said he later agreed to disable the system for $2,500, cutting the control cables of two jamming modules with office scissors.
The court ruled that his actions caused a prolonged shutdown of the electronic suppression system, leaving the airfield and its aircraft vulnerable to drone and precision-guided weapon attacks. The court also found that the Ministry of Defence had suffered property damage.
He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, with the first three years to be served in a prison and the remainder in a maximum-security penal colony. The verdict has not yet taken legal effect.
The Northern Fleet Military Court has repeatedly issued long sentences for similar offences in recent years. In spring 2026, it jailed a 20-year-old contract serviceman for 15 years for allegedly setting fire to a military aircraft and an army vehicle at Defence Ministry facilities in Murmansk Oblast; investigators classified the act as terrorism.
In June 2026, Murmansk student Rafael Mamedov received a 15-year sentence in a maximum-security penal colony after being convicted of treason and involvement in a terrorist organisation. Investigators alleged he collected information on military sites and maintained contacts with individuals linked to Ukraine.
Since the start of the war, Russian authorities have significantly broadened the application of treason, terrorism and sabotage laws. Human rights groups report a sharp increase in such cases, with courts imposing harsher sentences for offences related to military facility security and alleged cooperation with Ukraine.
