A Moscow court has sentenced journalist Daria Shipacheva to 12 years in prison on treason charges for sending money to Ukraine. The verdict was announced on July 29, 2026.
Shipacheva's close friend Taya shared letters she received from prison in an interview with the independent journalists cooperative Bereg. Taya said, "In her first letter to me she said, 'Don't come to Russia, nothing here will be good.' It was a shock to me."
The journalist's background and activities
Daria Shipacheva, 35, was born in Ukraine, grew up in the Kursk region and later moved to Moscow. A medical and science journalist, she worked for outlets such as RBC, Takie Dela, Wonderzine and Forbes Woman. She also wrote a health book called "Paniksiz" and was a feminist activist. She organized actions for the Khachaturian sisters and for feminist activist Yulia Tsvetkova.
Threats and arrest process
Shipacheva had received threats from the internet community Mujskoye Gosudarstvo (Men's State), which was designated an "extremist organization" in 2021, because of her women's rights advocacy. According to the T-invariant website, shortly before her arrest she was told, "We're digging under you, soon they will come for you." Her friend Taya said Shipacheva hadn't told her about these threats, probably wanting to spare her the worry.
While many people left the country after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, Shipacheva chose to stay in Moscow. Taya said, "She was very attached to her home in Moscow; it was a sacred place for her. She also used to say she loved Russia and the people here. She didn't make anti-war statements, she wasn't a resistance figure." At first, Shipacheva had tried to convince Taya to return to Russia, telling her, "Nothing will happen to you if you stay out of trouble."
Trial and sentencing
The journalist was detained at her Moscow home in the spring of 2025 and first taken to a prison in Rostov-on-Don, then transferred to Moscow's Lefortovo prison. Her state-appointed lawyer told her she could get the minimum sentence of 12 years if the case stayed out of the media. However, at the July 2026 hearing Shipacheva asked for journalists to be present. In the end, the court sentenced her to 12 years in a penal colony for treason for transferring money to Ukraine and confiscated 1.5 million rubles.
Prison hopes and future plans
Her friend Taya said that in her letters Shipacheva mostly tries to sound cheerful but wrote that she is afraid of being sent to the colony. Taya added, "She tells me, 'When I get out I will come to Europe, work in a café, learn French and walk around Paris.' Now all she writes about is how she will leave." She also said Shipacheva worries that her cat Luna will die before she gets out.
Shipacheva's circle of friends covered her legal costs by renting out her apartment and pooling their own money. Taya said, "Unless there is another prisoner exchange, she will be inside for a long time. We have no guarantee she will make it onto exchange lists, but I want to believe she will."
