The Ukrainian judiciary has seen a significant legal development with the sentencing of Larysa Bohomolova, a former judge from the Berdyansk District Court in the Zaporizhzhia region. She has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for treason, accompanied by the confiscation of her assets.
According to the investigation led by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, Bohomolova engaged in treasonous activities following the Russian military occupation of Berdyansk in the spring of 2022. She reportedly initiated contact with a representative of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and began to collaborate with the Russian intelligence agency.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that she gathered and relayed information to Russian forces regarding the movements of Ukrainian military personnel in the Donetsk region, specifically targeting members of the special operations unit known as Azov. Furthermore, she provided details about local judges and medical staff in Berdyansk who were supportive of Ukraine.
In addition to her direct actions, Bohomolova allegedly encouraged her colleagues to cooperate with the occupying authorities and assisted in staffing a Russian-created pseudo-division of the so-called Ministry of Emergency Situations.
After her activities were uncovered, Bohomolova managed to leave the occupied territory and returned to an area under Ukrainian control, where she took on a position as the head of a district court in Poltava. However, her past actions caught up with her; in May 2023, law enforcement apprehended her and charged her with treason. Subsequently, the High Council of Justice dismissed her from her judicial position.
The court found Bohomolova guilty under Article 111, Part 2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which addresses treason committed during a state of war. The sentence included 15 years of imprisonment and the forfeiture of her property.
“Until the verdict is legally binding, the convicted individual will remain in custody without the right to bail. She was aware of her actions. Betraying the oath to the Ukrainian people was a conscious choice. Now it is time to face the consequences. This will be the case for anyone, in robes or not, who works for the enemy,” stated Prosecutor General Kravchenko.
In December 2025, a court had altered Bohomolova’s pre-trial detention to bail, imposing procedural obligations on her.
Larysa Bohomolova, a former judge in Ukraine, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for collaborating with Russian forces during the occupation of Berdyansk. Her actions included passing sensitive military information and encouraging colleagues to work with occupying authorities.