The Kharkiv court rejected the appeal of an associate professor who adjusted missile strikes on the city.

Prosecutors upheld the sentence against the university associate professor who adjusted enemy missile strikes on Kharkiv.

This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, as conveyed by "Dumka".

According to the prosecutor's office, the Kharkiv Court of Appeals supported the prosecutors' position and upheld the verdict of the first instance. The 50-year-old man was found guilty of treason committed under martial law (part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Previously, prosecutors proved that an associate professor from one of Kharkiv's universities received an offer for cooperation from a Russian national via Telegram. After agreeing, the educator gathered and transmitted information about the movements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the placement of defensive fortifications in Kharkiv to the Russian curator. He also provided data on the locations of warehouses with international humanitarian aid for the civilian population in Kharkiv.

Additionally, he documented the consequences of missile strikes on one of the defense enterprises that was systematically shelled. In particular, the traitor collected and sent data regarding the political positions of his colleagues—specific professors at the Kharkiv university. This information was needed by the enemy for recruiting the teaching staff.

In November 2023, law enforcement apprehended the man. During searches of his apartment, a mobile phone and computer equipment containing evidence of cooperation with the Russian Federation were seized. The accused awaited the verdict while in custody. During the court session, he fully acknowledged his guilt.

The traitor did not hide that he committed the crime for ideological reasons. He also explained that he had known the curator, to whom he provided information, for a long time—they studied together and attended training sessions. After 2014, they maintained a friendly relationship and discussed various topics.

However, the defense disagreed with the verdict and appealed it. Nevertheless, the appellate court agreed with the prosecutor's arguments and left the first instance court's decision unchanged.

It is worth noting that in 2024, a 50-year-old associate professor was sentenced to 15 years in prison for espionage and assisting Russian military forces in Kharkiv. The associate professor began collaborating with the occupiers after the onset of the full-scale invasion. His task was to assist in planning and adjusting new shelling of Kharkiv.