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Russian mathematician and journalist Semyon Krasotkin, 27, has been charged with treason and ordered held in pretrial detention, according to a report by Vot Tak. Sources cited by the outlet said investigators pointed to Telegram “star” reactions worth 2,200 rubles, about $26, sent to opposition and Ukrainian channels. The specific evidence and formal allegations have not been independently detailed in the report.
Russian mathematician and journalist Semyon Krasotkin, 27, has been charged with treason and placed in pretrial detention over paid reactions he left on Telegram channels, news outlet Vot Tak reported. Sources cited by the outlet said investigators listed reactions worth 2,200 rubles, about $26, including reactions to opposition and Ukrainian posts.
Krasotkin was detained at Domodedovo Airport in mid-August after returning from a trip to Kyrgyzstan, according to a source who spoke to Vot Tak. Border guards searched his phone and found Telegram “stars,” the platform’s paid reactions and virtual currency, on posts in opposition and Ukrainian channels, the source said.
Vot Tak reported that Krasotkin was initially kept in custody through successive jail terms for the administrative offense of “petty hooliganism.” The outlet’s sources said he was due to be released on September 17, but was instead taken to the Moscow office of the Federal Security Service, Russia’s domestic security agency. Authorities opened a treason investigation, and a court ordered him held for two months on September 19.
One source told Vot Tak that investigators identified star reactions totaling 2,200 rubles. Another said Krasotkin had sent stars to a Ukrainian Telegram meme channel that was probably raising money for Ukraine’s armed forces. Those accounts describe what sources said investigators were examining; the report does not provide a public charging document or a detailed account of the authorities’ evidence.
Paid Reactions Become a Legal Risk
The case highlights how small payments on social media may be treated by Russian investigators as evidence in a serious criminal inquiry. The sum cited by Vot Tak is 2,200 rubles, about $26, but the report does not establish that the amount alone is the basis for the treason charge or explain the legal theory investigators are applying.
It also adds to reported cases in which Telegram “stars” have featured in Russian criminal investigations. For people who use paid reactions to respond to posts, the reported case raises questions about whether those transactions can be identified and interpreted by authorities. Human rights advocates have called for paid reactions to be anonymous, according to the source report.
The allegation involving a Ukrainian channel is especially consequential because the outlet’s source said the channel may have been raising funds for Ukraine’s armed forces. That description is attributed to the source and is not confirmed as a finding by a court. The distinction matters: the available account does not establish what Krasotkin intended, what the channel’s activities were, or what prosecutors allege the reactions funded.
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How Krasotkin Was Detained
Krasotkin is a Moscow-based mathematician and journalist, according to Vot Tak. He earned a master’s degree at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and worked at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences. He joined Russian Wikinews at age 16; its website lists him as one of nine administrators and says he has published more than a million news items.
Vot Tak’s account describes a sequence from his airport detention in August to his September transfer to the FSB and a court-ordered period in pretrial custody. Before the treason investigation, sources told the outlet, Krasotkin had been threatened with treason charges, torture and violence. These threats are reported accounts from sources, not independently verified findings in the material provided.
Criminal investigations involving Telegram stars have been reported since early 2026, initially in cases involving allegations of financing terrorism, Meduza reported. In the summer, the Telegram channel Tyuremny Advokat reported what it described as the first treason investigations tied to stars. In September, human rights advocates asked Telegram founder Pavel Durov to make paid reactions anonymous, citing the risk of criminal prosecution in Russia.
“Investigators listed “star” reactions worth a total of 2,200 rubles in Krasotkin’s case.”
— A source cited by Vot Tak
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Evidence and Charges Not Detailed
The report does not reproduce the formal charge, identify the precise provision of Russian law being used, or describe the evidence beyond the Telegram reactions reported by sources. It is also unclear whether investigators allege that the payments directly financed the Ukrainian military, supported another activity, or were relevant for a different reason.
The available material does not state how Krasotkin has responded, whether he has legal representation, or whether authorities have publicly confirmed the details reported by Vot Tak. The claims about threats before his transfer and about the channel’s fundraising have not been independently verified in the source material. The court’s September 19 order was for two months; the report does not say whether it has since been extended or changed.
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Court Proceedings and Official Details
The next developments to watch are any public statement from Russian investigators or the court, further information about the formal allegations, and decisions on Krasotkin’s pretrial detention. The source report does not provide a trial date or say when prosecutors may present a fuller account of the case.
Any further reporting may clarify what the authorities say the stars represented and whether the case is part of a broader set of investigations. Until official documents or additional independently sourced details emerge, the reported account remains based chiefly on information attributed to Vot Tak’s sources.
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Key Questions
Who is Semyon Krasotkin?
Krasotkin is a 27-year-old mathematician and journalist from Moscow, according to Vot Tak. The outlet says he earned a master’s degree at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and worked at a Russian Academy of Sciences research institute.
What are Telegram stars?
Telegram stars are paid reactions that also serve as virtual currency on the messaging platform. Vot Tak reported that investigators found reactions Krasotkin had left on posts in opposition and Ukrainian channels.
How much were the reactions worth?
A source cited by Vot Tak said investigators listed reactions totaling 2,200 rubles, about $26. The report does not explain whether that amount represents every transaction under review or how authorities say it relates to the treason allegation.
Has a court found Krasotkin guilty?
No conviction is reported. Vot Tak said a court ordered Krasotkin held in pretrial detention for two months on September 19. The report describes an investigation and charge, not a trial outcome.
What is not yet known about the case?
The report does not provide the formal charging documents, the full evidence, Krasotkin’s response, or a trial date. It also does not establish whether the Ukrainian channel was raising funds for the armed forces; that description came from a source cited by Vot Tak.
Source: rss
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