Oleksiy Bessarabov

The "Crimean terrorists": Vladimar Dudka, Oleksiy Bessarabov, and Dmitry Shtyblykov. (12 May, 2013) Oleksiy Bessarabov (, , born December 5, 1976) is a Ukrainian journalist, Political prisoner in Russia, one of the accused in the case of the so-called 'Crimean terrorists' (group of 'Sevastopol saboteurs'). He was detained by the FSB on November 9, 2016, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Career Born December 5, 1976, in Kresttsy village, Novgorod Oblast (now in Russia). Together with his parents in 1977 he moved to Sevastopol. He studied at Sevastopol Secondary School No. 23, and since 1993 at School No. 34, which he graduated with honors in 1994. Since 1994 he was a cadet at the Nakhimov Naval Academy (Sevastopol). He studied gun-missile integrated weapon systems of surface vessels, was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for excellent training results, high military discipline and conscientious performance of duty. He graduated with honors in 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he served as an officer in the Ukrainian Navy. He retired from military service for health reasons on August 29, 2005. Has a rank of captain lieutenant.

After returning to civilian life, from 2006 to 2009 he received his second higher education at the Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University in journalism. He worked as a correspondent at the Glavred news agency. Nicknamed Oleksii Streletsky, he is published in the magazines Shipping, Black Sea Security, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia and others. Since 2009 Bessarabov was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Black Sea Security magazine, expert of the Center for Assistance to the Study of Geopolitical Issues and Euro-Atlantic Cooperation of the Black Sea Region NOMOS. He has been publishing in the media, in particular, writing about the problems of the Black Sea Fleet based in Sevastopol. For several days, Oleksiy Bessarabov's whereabouts were unknown. On November 10, the FSB stated that he was allegedly a member of the "sabotage-terrorist group of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine". He was charged with planning sabotage actions at military infrastructure and support facilities in Sevastopol.

Personal life Married, has a son.