Russian authorities have begun prosecuting people for photographing graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine, with at least two cases reaching courts in recent weeks, according to the independent outlet Mediazona. Editor Dmitry Treshchanin said that in several regions, security services have staged demonstrative detentions, after which suspects were forced to apologize on camera.
Last week, a 48-year-old man was detained in the Yaroslavl region. According to the prosecution, since October 2024 he had systematically visited a memorial cemetery, secretly photographed and filmed the graves of Russian soldiers, and sent the materials to representatives of Ukrainian intelligence services. The treason case was submitted to the Yaroslavl Regional Court on August 7 and will be heard behind closed doors. Mediazona noted that at least two such cases have appeared on the court's website in the past month.
In late June, several residents of the Tomsk region were detained on similar charges. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claims they collected information about fallen soldiers on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence. Screenshots published by the security services show an alleged customer offering from 20,000 rubles for 100 photos to 100,000 rubles for 400 images, and a receipt for a 25,000-ruble transfer. In the Sverdlovsk region, after several detentions, authorities increased surveillance at cemeteries and decided to install warning signs.
The FSB alleges that the photographs are used in fraudulent schemes: they are turned into deepfakes, after which relatives of the deceased are told the soldier is allegedly alive and in captivity, and are asked for money for his release.
Mediazona warned that unknown individuals are offering Russian residents, in the outlet's name, to photograph soldiers' graves for payment. The senders promise to cover not only the photos but also travel expenses. The outlet said it has no connection to these offers and does not ask readers to visit cemeteries.
Treshchanin said that Ukrainian fraudsters, who tried to buy a database from the outlet, are interested in "fresh" unpublished data on the dead. He warned that photos on a phone, correspondence with a customer, and a money transfer from Ukraine could serve as grounds for charges of carrying out tasks for Ukrainian intelligence. It has not been possible to establish who exactly is sending the offers in the outlet's name.
Mediazona, together with BBC Russian, has been tracking Russian deaths in the war. The outlet stressed that it had previously asked volunteers to send photos of new graves, but now strongly advises against doing so.
The human rights project First Department noted that in such cases, the key factor is not the photos themselves but the customer. Security services may consider that Russians could send photos to Ukrainian or any other organizations whose activities, in the FSB's view, are directed against Russia's security. At the same time, security services and courts will not determine who exactly receives the photos, the human rights activists emphasized.