Woman accused of treason jailed for 15 years

A woman in Sebastopol, in Russian-annexed Crimea, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for treason by working for Ukraine, the Russian prosecutor general's office announced on Thursday.

Oksana Senejuk, an urban planning and architecture specialist, was found guilty of "high treason" at a court in the Black Sea city, a statement read.

As well as a prison sentence, she was ordered to pay a 200,000-ruble ($2,000) fine.

Prosecutors said she had been recruited by a Ukrainian intelligence agent in the local government before he left for Ukraine in 2015.

But the man remained in contact with her and in March last year he ordered her to hand over information and photographs allowing Russian Black Sea fleet ships to be located, they added.

The number of cases of treason, terrorism, sabotage or espionage have increased since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

Those found guilty have been given heavy sentences.

Thousands of people have also been sanctioned, threatened or imprisoned because of their opposition to the conflict.