A court in Kirov has sentenced Alexandra Pugach, 28, to six years in prison in absentia on charges of spreading “false information” about the Russian military. Pugach is the daughter of one of Vladimir Putin’s official campaign representatives during the 2018 presidential election.
The verdict was handed down on May 14 and has already taken effect, the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported. The court also barred Pugach from administering websites for three and a half years.
Her father, Valentin Pugach, is the rector of Vyatka State University and served as Putin’s official representative in the Kirov region during the 2018 presidential election.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Pugach left for Georgia and severed contact with her father. The criminal case against her was opened after a speech she gave at an anti-war rally in Georgia, where she urged people to support Ukraine and donate to the Ukrainian military.
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