Woman, 68, sentenced for donation to Ukrainian military hospitalised in Russia: "She's barely able to stand"

Halyna Bekhter, a 68-year-old woman from Zaporizhzhia Oblast who was "convicted" by the Russian occupation authorities for allegedly transferring money to support Ukraine's defence forces, has been taken to hospital in Vologda, Russia.

Source: Russian news outlet Astra

Details: Astra reported that Bekhter, who is serving her sentence in Penal Colony No. 1 in Vologda, ended up in a prison hospital following a sharp deterioration in her condition.

Her lawyer, Irina Biryukova, was told that Bekhter had stopped eating almost entirely and had been rushed to hospital on 9 November.

Biryukova, who came to visit the prisoner, said that Bekhter was in an extremely serious condition.

Quote from Biryukova: "It's a terrifying sight: she's skin and bone and can barely stand. She can walk on her own, but very slowly, and she needs something to hold on to.

I felt as though she was far away, in a world of her own. Her eyes are vacant. She seems to be looking at you, but not really seeing you. She answers questions in a whisper you can barely hear. She says, 'I don't know anything… I don't know anything.' Then she sighs. You know how sometimes someone just doesn't care what's happening around them? That's the impression I got."

Details: Doctors are expected to diagnose the woman soon.

Background:

• Halyna was detained in July 2025 after a neighbour informed on her. When the neighbour spoke in support of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Bekhter allegedly replied: "Ours will return soon. We'll see what you have to say then."
• In March 2026, Bekhter was found guilty of "providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation". Russian "investigators" claimed that the woman had used the mobile app of a Ukrainian bank on her phone to transfer money in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• Later in the proceedings, the prosecution tried to challenge the "too lenient" sentence to increase the punishment from 11 to 16 years in prison. However, the court of appeal agreed to only 12.5 years.
• Following the verdict, Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets sent appeals to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian Human Rights Commissioner.
• A few months after the verdict, Halyna's cellmates reported a deterioration in her health, including the likely progression of dementia.
• She lost a great deal of weight and refused to eat, so she had to be force-fed. She was also unable to wash herself. Efforts were made to arrange a medical examination for her. She was reportedly examined twice but could not clearly explain the doctors' findings to her cellmates.

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