Russia's Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Vladimir Ananyev, a 77-year-old resident of annexed Crimea, to 18 years in prison over an alleged plot to assassinate Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea. Ananyev must serve the first four years in prison under a stricter regime, with the remainder of the sentence to be served in a penal colony.
The court's press service announced the verdict on October 22. Ananyev became the third person convicted in the case, which also involved Oksana Shevchenko and Vladimir Bodnar.
According to Russian investigators, the group was preparing to bomb Aksyonov's vehicle. Prosecutors alleged that the suspected conspirators monitored his movements and intended to use an improvised explosive device.
Investigators maintain that Ananyev was supposed to store and transport materials intended for the alleged attack, relay information to other members of the group and assist with preparations.
Ananyev was detained in Simferopol in February 2024. Russian courts previously sentenced Shevchenko and Bodnar to 10 and 13 years in prison, respectively, in the same case.
In September 2026, prosecutors requested a 22-year sentence for Ananyev, with the first five years to be served in prison under a stricter regime, as well as a fine of 650,000 rubles. The court imposed a shorter prison term.
Human rights advocates had previously reported that Ananyev suffered from health problems, including high blood pressure, and raised concerns about the conditions of his detention.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine and most countries do not recognize Russian sovereignty over the peninsula.
Accounts of the alleged assassination preparations are based on the Russian investigation's claims and the court's findings. Independent scrutiny of the evidence presented by prosecutors remains limited.