Personal Information
- Birth date
- 17 мая 1955 г. (71 years old)
- Special circumstances
- Ukrainian citizen, forced RF citizenship, scientist, pensioner
- Notes
- Marine biologist, scientific researcher at the Southern Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography YuzhNIRO, represented Ukraine in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and spoke out against Russia's position on fishing in the Southern Ocean.
Pshenichnov Leonid Konstantinovich
Case Information
- Region of case initiation:
- Republic of Crimea
- Detention date:
- 15 сент. 2025 г.
- Charges:
- Art. 275 CC RF
- Case categories:
- Crimea, Scientist cases, Treason
Case Description
In Kerch, in annexed Crimea, in September 2025, security forces detained Leonid Pshenichnov, a well-known marine researcher and biologist. He was accused of treason. Details are unknown. The court placed the man in a pre-trial detention center. Pshenichnov is one of the scientists-biologists who supported the Ukrainian initiative to create a new marine protected area near the Antarctic Peninsula. The Russian authorities interpreted this initiative as an attempt to restrict commercial fishing and reduce their control over the strategically important sector of the world ocean. It is reported that Russia and China have been blocking this initiative for years. The Ukrainian National Antarctic Scientific Center (NANC) stated that Pshechennikov suffered for opposing Russia's predatory stance towards the Southern Ocean. In October 2025, Pshenichnov was supposed to participate in the next meeting of the Commission in Hobart, Australia. But the scientist was detained on the eve of this event.
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