Moscow Court Upholds Visiting Businessman’s Treason Arrest Over Ukrainian Tax Payments, Mediazona Reports

Aug. 13, 2026 Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency A Moscow judge has upheld the pre-trial detention of a 60-year-old businessman accused of state treason for paying taxes in Ukraine, the exiled outlet Mediazona reported Wednesday. Oleg Varyukhin, a former pilot who ran a perfume business in Ukraine, was reportedly arrested in early May after flying into Moscow from Moldova to visit relatives. Russian investigators allege that Varyukhin committed treason by paying mandatory taxes as an individual entrepreneur on his earnings into the Ukrainian state budget. “Every worker in any country is obligated to pay taxes. They have no control over that,” defense attorney Yury Shel told Mediazona. “[Varyukhin] had no say over how the government distributed those tax revenues, just like anyone in any other country,” Shel said. Mediazona reported that Varyukhin was last issued a passport in Russia in 1981 and has never obtained Russian or Ukrainian passports after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Shel claimed Varyukhin had obtained a Ukrainian business license in 2014 and was planning to enter Russia on a temporary travel certificate issued by the Russian Embassy in Moldova. Prior to his treason charge, Varyukhin was reportedly subjected to so-called repeated "carousel arrests" on charges of disorderly conduct between May and July. He served four consecutive 15-day jail terms before being transferred to a pre-trial detention facility on July 22, according to Mediazona. Two of the court rulings identified Varyukhin as a Russian citizen, while the other two redacted his personal data. On Wednesday, the Moscow City Court upheld Varyukhin’s pre-trial detention on state treason charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison in Russia. The Moscow Times was unable to independently verify the details of the report. Read more about: Repression Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more opinion Boris Bondarev Don't Blame Putin Alone for Russia's Misdeeds – It's the System Yes, the Russian system is repressive. But imagining that Putin is behind every headline is an unhelpful distortion of how the system works. 6 Min read Russian Entrepreneur Kidnapped, Beaten and Released After Bashing Chechens Online Photos of Shchepikhin released Wednesday show him with bruises on his face. 2 Min read St. Petersburg Woman Jailed Over Army Criticism After Neighbor’s Denunciation Aleksandrova, 47, was arrested for pseudonymous posts she made on social media, after her neighbor reportedly denounced her. 1 Min read opinion Sergey Chernyshov Russia’s Education System Is Capable of Resistance When They Want To Be The story of a school in Barnaul shows that teachers can stand up against the state if they work together. But the problem is, they often don't. 5 Min read