A Moscow court found Yulia Lemeshchenko guilty of high treason and preparation of a terrorist attack. The 42-year-old athlete received a 19-year prison sentence.
According to the Russian investigation, Lemeshchenko allegedly blew up power line poles in St. Petersburg in October 2024. She was also accused of spying on the commander of the Voronezh air base, Colonel Alexei Loboda, who allegedly participated in the bombing of Kharkiv.
During the trial, Lemeshchenko did not deny the events, but did not admit guilt and stated that she did not repent of her actions.
It is known that Yulia moved from Voronezh to Kharkiv in 2014. In Ukraine, she was engaged in powerlifting and in 2021 became the champion of Ukraine in this sport.
The court decision caused a resonance among the sports community and human rights activists, who point to the political nature of the case and harsh sanctions against Ukrainian citizens in the territory of the Russian Federation.
