Ilya Varlamov

Affiliated media: YouTube channel "Varlamov" , Journalist, Media manager

Incident date: August 14, 2025

Attack type:

• arrest in absentia

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Mediazona

Location: Russia, Moscow, Moscow

Additional information:

The Meshchansky District Court in Moscow has sentenced journalist Ilya Varlamov in absentia to eight years in a general-regime penal colony. He was convicted of “spreading false information” about the Russian army (Article 207.3, Part 2d of the Criminal Code) and of failing to comply with “foreign agent” requirements (Article 330.1, Part 2). The court also imposed a fine of 99.5 million rubles, equivalent to Varlamov’s declared income for 2023. The “false information” charge stemmed from a YouTube video published on November 23, 2023, reporting on Russian strikes against Kryvyi Rih and Odesa. Prosecutors also cited 19 instances of alleged noncompliance with “foreign agent” obligations. Varlamov is currently residing outside Russia.