Daughter of Putin's 2018 campaign ally sentenced to 6 years for anti-war protest in Kirov

A Russian court in Kirov has sentenced 28-year-old Alexandra Pugach in absentia to six years in prison. She is the daughter of one of Vladimir Putin's official campaign representatives during the 2018 presidential elections. The charges relate to spreading alleged 'fakes' about the Russian army and calls to donate to Ukrainian armed forces.

A court in Kirov, Russia, has handed down a six-year prison sentence in absentia to Alexandra Pugach, 28, daughter of one of Vladimir Putin's trusted campaign representatives during the 2018 presidential election. The Pervomaysky District Court found her guilty of spreading so-called 'fake' information about the Russian military.

According to the charges, Pugach participated in anti-war demonstrations protesting Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and publicly encouraged donations to the Ukrainian Armed Forces — activities that Russian authorities now prosecute as criminal offences under wartime legislation.

The case highlights the increasingly severe consequences faced by Russians who openly oppose the war in Ukraine, even when family members have close ties to the Kremlin. Pugach was sentenced in absentia, suggesting she is no longer in Russia and cannot be immediately detained.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russian courts have handed down hundreds of sentences under laws criminalising criticism of the military. Human rights organisations have documented a sharp escalation in prosecutions targeting anti-war activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens who publicly question the conflict.