Persecution and In-Absentia Arrest of the Action4Life Founder

2021–2022 — Three administrative cases for allegedly «discrediting the Russian armed forces» for posts about the war and for sharing a post by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

3 October 2025 — Maria was added by the Russian Ministry of Justice to the register of «foreign agents».
This designation entails:
— mandatory reporting and labelling of any public activity;
— fines and criminal risks for minor technical violations;
— reputational pressure and restrictions on participation in public and professional life;
— increased surveillance and attempts to discredit the humanitarian work of the foundation.

27 May — Inclusion in the Federal Financial Monitoring Service’s list of «terrorists and extremists».
Maria Solenova and co-founder Dmitry Zakhvatov were added to the federal list, which resulted in:
— blocking of Russian bank accounts;
— restrictions on financial transactions;
— additional supervisory and repressive measures.

This step effectively equated Action4Life’s humanitarian work with «extremist activity», a politically motivated interpretation.

12 August — A court issued an in-absentia arrest warrant for Maria for two months on charges of «aiding terrorism».
Investigators claim that Action4Life’s humanitarian support — vitamin complexes for Azov fighters and a drone for the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko — constitutes «support for terrorism».
Standard volunteer assistance to Ukrainian defenders is thus treated as a criminal act.

Position of Maria:
«I do not consider myself involved in terrorism. I helped support the health of people defending their country — a country that was attacked. The only terrorist in this story is Russia. I have helped, I help, and I will continue to help. And I urge others to join me»

Systemic nature of persecution: Maria’s case is part of a broader campaign by the Kremlin to suppress volunteers, human rights defenders, and civil initiatives helping Ukraine. In recent years, the Russian authorities increasingly:
— criminalize humanitarian aid;
— equate volunteer work with «support for terrorism»;
— expand the use of repressive charges against civilians;
— target those engaged in international solidarity initiatives.

Why this matters: Maria’s story shows how far the Russian repressive system is willing to go, extending pressure and threats beyond its borders.
Her case has become a demonstrative signal to all initiatives supporting Ukrainian military personnel and civilians: any assistance may be arbitrarily labelled as «terrorism».

Despite the pressure, Maria continues her work and remains a voice of support for those she helps.