August 30th 2024.
According to a friend, 28-year-old Viktoria Shinkaruk was manipulated by her husband into committing a crime. The Russian official is facing a potential 25-year prison sentence for withdrawing £885, which authorities claim was intended to help Ukraine carry out a sabotage attack during wartime.
Shinkaruk, who used to work as a state inspector in the Belgorod region, allegedly dropped most of the cash in a supermarket bin, believing it would be used by terrorists. However, she denies the charge and insists that she was simply following her husband's request. Her husband, Evgeny Kisel, had fled to Ukraine to avoid facing drug charges and had previously escaped house arrest.
Shinkaruk explains that she received a small commission for the withdrawal and had no knowledge of its intended purpose. A friend, Sergei, believes that her husband had manipulated her into thinking that the money would help him avoid a criminal case. He describes her as a naive and caring person who just wanted to help. Now, she is facing the potential loss of her youth, the opportunity to start a family, and her freedom.
Shinkaruk's job in the Belgorod region, which has seen tensions with Ukraine, was terminated after her arrest in November 2022. The Russian government considers acts of sabotage as terrorism. However, a male relative insists that she would never intentionally go against her country and believes that her husband set her up. He describes her as a calm and level-headed person, not someone who would do anything crazy.
Another male friend also believes in Shinkaruk's innocence, stating that she is a smart and attractive girl who loves her country. He has never heard her make any dubious statements.
Shinkaruk's alleged cash withdrawal of £885 is minor compared to the £3,300 that her co-accused, Alexander Kholodkov, is accused of withdrawing before dropping it in the same bin. He is also accused of moving explosive devices to hiding places. If convicted, Shinkaruk could face up to 25 years in prison under Russia's new terrorism laws.
Authorities claim that Shinkaruk was part of a terrorist community and was preparing to carry out a bomb attack. They allege that the money was intended for other members of the group to assist in the attack during the first few months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Together with Kholodkov, Shinkaruk is facing charges of illegal trafficking, smuggling, conspiring with a group, and preparing to manufacture explosives.
According to reports, Shinkaruk and Kholodkov communicated with handlers from Ukraine using the Signal and Telegram messenger apps. They allegedly received instructions from these handlers and placed explosives and cash in hiding places. However, authorities have been unable to identify the alleged saboteurs and handlers or the target of the attack, despite two years of investigations.
Shinkaruk has spent the last 22 months in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, where other Kremlin critics, Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko, were once held. Both were targets of Russian assassination missions on British soil, but Skripal survived. Former US Marine Paul Whelan was also imprisoned there before being released in a prisoner swap on August 1. If convicted, Shinkaruk could face a similar fate.
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