October 20, 2026, 3:42 PMRSSRU

Mikhail Zhitkov

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Mikhail Zhitkov, born 2002, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 214 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Vandalism committed by a group of people, or motivated by hatred or animosity); “Kerch vandalism case”. Sentence (August 9, 2023): 1 year imprisonment. Status: at large.

In brief

Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Kerch · Anti-war cases

Sentence

1 year imprisonment

Verdict August 9, 2023

No information about an appeal ruling.

Charges

Full wording of the charges

Painted anti-war graffiti together with Yegor Savchenko.

Latest event

August 9, 2023 — first-instance verdict

The court delivered a guilty verdict.

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Timeline

  1. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict

  2. · Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)

  3. · Preventive measure: house arrest

  4. · Persecution begins

    Kerch vandalism case

Criminal case

Kerch vandalism case

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: Anti-war case

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

On 25 May 2023, law enforcers burst into the flat where Zhidkov was staying with another persecuted person, Yegor Savchenko. At least one of them was dragged by the hair. Alexander Talipov, the administrator of the "Crimean SMERSH" Telegram channel, who regularly writes denunciations against opponents of the war, said in his personal channel that Savchenko and Zhidkov were then arrested for 15 days. In June, they were sent under house arrest, although the investigation demanded that they be taken into custody. "Crimean SMERSH" also published a video of them apologising. Supposedly, on 9 August 2023, both were sentenced to a year of restricted freedom. However, on 5 October, the appellate court cancelled the sentence, because the magistrates' court, which considered the case, prepared only the introductory and operative parts of the verdict in the deliberation room, and attached the full version of the verdict to the case later, which is a violation of the law.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Preventive measures
travel ban (written undertaking)

Other people prosecuted under Article 214 part 2, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 114 under this article →