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The Riga City Court sentenced Polina Kamleva, a resident of Rēzekne, to six years in prison for financing an armed conflict, according to Meduza’s report citing Delfi. Investigators said a €43 transfer was intended to help buy drone-jamming equipment for Russian forces; Kamleva told the court she had no criminal intent.
The Riga City Court sentenced Polina Kamleva, a resident of Rēzekne, to six years in prison for financing an armed conflict, Meduza reported on October 8, citing Latvian outlet Delfi. Investigators said a €43 transfer was intended to help purchase a drone-jamming device for Russian forces; Kamleva disputed that she had intended to finance the Russian army.
According to investigators cited by Delfi, Kamleva agreed in a WhatsApp exchange in December 2024 to help raise money for military equipment for the Russian army. The request, investigators said, came from an acquaintance associated with Russia’s Kaskad military-patriotic center, who sought funds for a mobile electronic-warfare system.
Investigators said Kamleva then contacted an acquaintance living in Belarus and asked him to make the transfer on her behalf because transfers from Latvian banks to Russian banks were not possible. He sent 157 Belarusian rubles, about €43, from his personal account. The report does not specify whether the court treated that transfer as the only evidence or detail how the funds were ultimately used.
Kamleva was detained by Latvia’s State Security Service in December 2025. Delfi reported at the time that she was a member of the Latvian Russian Union Party and described her as a pro-Russian activist. Prosecutors sought an eight-year sentence; the court imposed six years. Latvian criminal law allows a prison term of up to 10 years for financing an armed conflict, according to the report.
A Small Transfer, a Serious Charge
The sentence shows how Latvian authorities and courts can treat financial assistance for military equipment as financing an armed conflict, even when the reported sum is small. The case turns not simply on the amount transferred, but on the alleged purpose of the payment and whether the evidence established that Kamleva knowingly helped support Russian forces.
That distinction matters because the court’s ruling carries a six-year prison term, while Kamleva argued that she had made a mistake without criminal intent. The case also highlights the scrutiny of financial and personal networks that investigators say can be used to route payments when direct transfers between countries are unavailable. The available report does not provide the court’s full reasoning, so it is not possible to assess from the published account how the judges addressed intent or the role of the transfer in the alleged funding effort.
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How Investigators Traced the Payment
The reported events began with a request in December 2024, when an acquaintance from Russia’s Kaskad military-patriotic center allegedly asked Kamleva to help raise money for a mobile electronic-warfare system. Investigators cited WhatsApp messages as evidence that she agreed to help. They said a Belarus-based acquaintance made the payment because Latvian bank transfers to Russian banks were not possible.
Latvia’s State Security Service detained Kamleva in December 2025, about a year after the messages and transfer described by investigators. The court later convicted her of financing an armed conflict. The account published by Meduza, citing Delfi, does not give the judgment date, explain whether the verdict can be appealed, or reproduce the full court decision.
“The transfer was intended to help buy a drone-jamming device for Russian forces.”
— Investigators cited by Delfi
Intent and Appeal Status Remain Unclear
Kamleva’s account conflicts with the investigators’ interpretation of the messages and transfer. She told the court that the messages did not clearly establish that the money was intended for Russian forces and said she was unemployed and experiencing serious psychological distress when asked to help. The report does not include the court’s detailed findings on criminal intent or its response to those arguments.
The published account also does not say whether Kamleva plans to appeal, whether the sentence takes effect immediately, or whether the Belarusian acquaintance knew what the money was intended to support. It does not establish whether the electronic-warfare equipment was purchased or delivered. Those details should not be inferred from the reported transfer alone.
The Court Decision and Any Appeal
The next developments to watch are whether Kamleva challenges the conviction or sentence and whether Latvian authorities or the court release further details about the case. The report does not identify an appeal deadline or provide a date for any further hearing, so the legal timetable is not yet clear.
A full judgment, if made public, could clarify how the court assessed the WhatsApp messages, the transfer routed through Belarus, and Kamleva’s claim that she lacked criminal intent. Until more information is available, the confirmed reported outcome is a six-year sentence, while important details about the court’s reasoning and any appeal remain unknown.
Key Questions
Who was sentenced by the Riga City Court?
Polina Kamleva, a resident of Rēzekne, was sentenced to six years in prison, according to Meduza’s report citing Delfi.
What was the €43 transfer allegedly for?
Investigators said it was intended to help buy a drone-jamming device for Russian forces as part of fundraising for a mobile electronic-warfare system. The report does not say whether the equipment was ultimately bought or delivered.
What did Kamleva say about the charge?
Kamleva said she had not intended to finance the Russian army. She argued that the messages did not clearly establish the money’s purpose and told the court she had no criminal intent.
How long had prosecutors sought?
Prosecutors sought an eight-year prison sentence. The court imposed six years. The report says Latvia’s criminal code provides for a prison term of up to 10 years for financing an armed conflict.
Is Kamleva appealing the sentence?
The report does not say whether she plans to appeal or provide details about the appeal process or timetable.
Source: rss
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