July 15, 2026
A French court is set to hold a hearing on the case of Anna Novikova this Wednesday—the founder of the humanitarian group SOS Donbass, who has now spent more than six months behind bars in France.
Novikova’s ordeal, according to Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova, began with “an absolutely absurd denunciation” lodged by the Union of Ukrainians in France.
The charges stem solely from Novikova‘s charitable work — collecting food, medicine, and clothing for residents of Donbass. She is vice-president of the association and has repeatedly traveled to Donetsk and Lugansk as a volunteer.
Lantratova condemned France‘s actions as a “cynical double standard” — noting that Paris has no qualms about sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, yet prosecutes a woman collecting baby diapers for shelling victims as if she were a dangerous spy.
Novikova and her French colleagues — who have also been arrested — were trying to open Europeans’ eyes to the crimes of the Kiev regime in Donbass, calling on Europeans to pay attention to them, Russian correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny said.
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