Mathematician Arrested for Telegram 'Stars' on Ukraine Channels
27-year-old mathematician and journalist Semen Krasotkin from Moscow was arrested on charges of treason for sending Telegram Stars totaling 2,200 rubles to opposition and Ukrainian Telegram channels. He was detained at Domodedovo Airport in August 2026 after returning from Kyrgyzstan, subjected to multiple administrative arrests, and later charged with treason after being held by FSB officers who allegedly used torture.
Consensus
- Semen Krasotkin, a 27-year-old mathematician from Moscow, was arrested on charges of treason.
- The arrest followed the discovery of Telegram Stars sent to opposition and Ukrainian Telegram channels.
- The total amount of the Telegram Stars was 2,200 rubles.
- Krasotkin was detained at Domodedovo Airport in mid-August 2026 upon returning from Kyrgyzstan.
- He was subjected to multiple administrative arrests (‘carousel arrests’) under Article 20.1 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses.
- After the second administrative arrest, he was taken into custody by FSB officers and charged with treason (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code).
- On 19 September, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow ordered his detention in pre-trial detention center.
- On 14 October, the Moscow City Court rejected his appeal against the arrest.
- Krasotkin worked as a mathematician at the Institute of Problems of Management named after Trapeznikov (IPU RAN) and completed a master’s degree at MIPT.
- He was a long-time contributor to the Russian Wikipedia project, listed as one of nine administrators.
- The case is part of a broader trend in 2026 where Russian authorities began prosecuting individuals for sending Telegram Stars to certain channels, citing potential funding of the Ukrainian military.
Points of divergence
- Krasotkin was initially sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest on 19 August for allegedly cursing in public, and then another 14 days on 4 September. — mediazona
- Krasotkin was subjected to torture immediately after his first administrative arrest, including being hooded, beaten, and shocked with an electric device. — tg_radiosvoboda
- Krasotkin was forced to record a confession in Ukrainian, a language he does not know. — novaya_eu
- Krasotkin was held for two days and threatened with treason charges and torture, and was forced to sing the song 'Matushka-zemlya'. — tg_astrapress
- Krasotkin was threatened with punishment and torture before being charged. — meduza
- Krasotkin was detained on 27 August, not mid-August. — tg_echoonline_news
Coverage (6 sources)
- «Вот Так»: math from Moscow arrested for treason case due to sending «stars» in telegram for 2,200 rubles — Медиазона
- 27-year-old mathematician from Moscow Semyon Krasotkin arrested on charges of treason due to so-called 'stars' - paid reactions in messenger Telegram... — Радио Свобода
- Semena Krasotkina's Mathematics after returning to the RF was accused of treason due to 'stars' in Telegram — Новая газета Европа
- Mathematician Semen Krasotkin arrested for treason over 'star' reactions in Telegram — ASTRA
- «Вот Так»: mathematics from Moscow accused Semen Krasotkin of treason over «stars» in Telegram for the sum of two thousand rubles — Meduza
- Mathematics of Semen Krasotkin accused of treason over 'stars' in Telegram — ЭХО / Новости