According to the charges, Svetlana Burceva violated an international sanction by working for the Russian Federation media company RIA Rossiya Segodnya, whose CEO Dmitry Kiselyov is included in the list of financial sanctions, according to a court spokesperson.

In doing so, Burceva made economic resources available to a sanctioned individual by writing articles and providing photos for the RIA Rossiya Segodnya/Baltnews online publication.

Burceva was also accused of establishing and maintaining a relationship antagonistic to the Republic of Estonia with a foreign national, Roman Romachev, and assisting him as well as the Russian Federation organization R-Techno in nonviolent acts directed against the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia.

The court accepted all submitted evidence, deeming it admissible, and ruled that Burceva's guilt was fully proven.

Harju District Court established that Roman Romachev is a reserve officer of the FSB, and head of the private intelligence company R-Techno. Among other tasks, this company is responsible for creating a talent pool for the system the Russian Federation is currently developing to combat information warfare and psychological operations.

Romachev's role in the "Information and Hybrid Conflicts" master's program at Sevastopol State University was not only to act as a guest lecturer, but also recruit future agents of influence from among the students.

According to the court, the purpose of Romachev and Burceva establishing their relationship was to start jointly publishing various writings aimed at supporting the Russian Federation's foreign and security policy goals, including carrying out influence operations in so-called near abroad countries.

With Romachev's knowledge, Burceva wrote and published the book "Hybrid War for Peace: Where Will the 'Battle of Kursk' Take Place?" which the court found to be a work of propaganda lacking the hallmarks of independent analysis. The book distorts historical facts, spreads misinformation and fosters distrust in the state. Following the book's publication, Romachev immediately began promoting it with the goal of maximizing its distribution, including in Estonia and the other Baltic countries.

In its sentencing, the first-tier court took into account that the defendant had been accused of deliberately violating international sanctions over the course of several years.

"[The defendant's] collaboration with media outlets linked to Kiselyov can be considered a considerable contribution," the court stated. "However, it must be taken into account that the number of articles was not very high for the time span in question. Considering that the degree of culpability is moderate, there are no mitigating or aggravating circumstances in the case, and taking into account the circumstances of the offense and the defendant's character, an appropriate sentence is two years in prison."

Harju District Court concluded that Burceva committed treason intentionally, but nonetheless found that her degree of guilt was close to minimal.

"There was only one book, and its period of influence on the broader public was brief," the court explained. "The sentencing should also take into consideration that Svetlana Burceva has no prior criminal record. Taking all of this into account, the court finds that the six-year prison sentence sought by the prosecution corresponds to the severity of Svetlana Burceva's guilt, her profile information and the objectives of the punishment."

Considering that the crimes occurred during the same time period and are somewhat similar in nature, the court sentenced Burceva to a combined six years in prison.

Burceva's sentence was backdated to February 28 of last year, giving her credit for time served since her detention.

Harju District Court has ordered Burceva to pay a compensation levy of €2,215 as a procedural cost, as well as bear the full costs of her court-appointed defense attorneys.

The court denied the defense's request for compensation for damages caused by the criminal proceedings.

The first-tier court's ruling has not yet entered into force, and can be appealed to Tallinn Circuit Court within 30 days.

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