Former Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Serhiy Yeliseyev Convicted in Absence for High Treason

Former First Deputy Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Serhiy Yeliseyev, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison and stripped of the military rank of “vice admiral”.

This is reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

It was established that during the occupation of Crimea in 2014, he actually performed the duties of the commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, but refused to carry out orders from the state leadership and sided with Russia, violating his military oath.

The verdict was passed by the Primorsky District Court of Odessa on June 8, 2026, upon public indictment by prosecutors of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense of the Southern Region.

Serhiy Yeliseyev was found guilty of high treason, desertion, encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, participation in a terrorist organization and waging an aggressive war (Part 1 of Article 111, Part 1 of Article 408, Part 3 of Article 110, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 258-3, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

In particular, he became one of the first high-ranking officers of the Ukrainian Navy against whom criminal proceedings were initiated for treason.

Prosecutors proved that his actions contributed to the undermining of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, the seizure of Ukrainian warships, and the establishment of Russian military control over the Crimean peninsula.

In July 2014, Yeliseyev transferred to the Russian service. He was later appointed deputy commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet, where he was responsible for combat training of personnel.

This was the first time a former Ukrainian officer actually held one of the highest command positions in the Russian Armed Forces.

In 2016, during a large-scale personnel reshuffle at the headquarters of the Russian Baltic Fleet, he became the only one of more than 50 admirals and captains who retained his position.

Yeliseyev publicly supported Russia and even wore a Russian military uniform during parades before May 9, along with previously received Ukrainian state awards, reworked to Russian standards.

In addition, the former Vice Admiral of the Ukrainian Navy is under sanctions by Ukraine, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other partner states.

Previously, “Pryamiy” reported that the court sentenced the former head of the Poltava District Court, Larisa Bogomolova, to 15 years in prison , who was found guilty of collaborating with the Russian special services during a full-scale war.

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