U.S. Journalist Turned Ukrainian Military Spokesperson Sentenced to 20 Years by Russian-Controlled Court

A court in the occupied eastern region of Ukraine has sentenced a former American journalist, who briefly acted as a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military, to 20 years in prison in absentia, Russian officials announced on Monday.

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, 47, arrived in Ukraine from the United States in March 2022 to cover Russia’s invasion and subsequently joined the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. In August 2023, she was appointed as the spokesperson for the unit, communicating in English.

However, she was suspended from her role the following month after declaring that Kyiv would “track down” journalists affiliated with the Russian government—comments that sparked backlash from Moscow and led Russian authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against her.

Last year, Russian officials accused Ashton-Cirillo of acting as a mercenary and disseminating «false information» about the Russian military. She was subsequently listed as wanted and classified within a registry of “extremists and terrorists.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia reported that the Supreme Court, which was established by Moscow in the occupied Donetsk area, found her guilty on both charges.

Prosecutors allege that Ashton-Cirillo participated in combat and released a video in August 2023, in which she accused Russia of employing biological weapons in both Syria and Ukraine.

She received a sentence of 20 years in a medium-security facility. Generally, sentences issued in absentia come into effect only if the individual is extradited to Russia.