Vadim was first convicted in December 2021 for publicly insulting a prosecutor and sentenced to restricted freedom without referral.
Vadim worked for a long time as a design engineer at Peleng, in the 20th Directorate, in the electronic systems support sector. He and his colleagues developed equipment for the Russian military, including tank sights.
In September 2024, Vadim was arrested following a KGB raid on the company. In 2025, he was convicted of "inciting hatred or discord" and "calls for sanctions and other actions aimed at harming national security" and sentenced to imprisonment. Case details are unknown.
On December 13, 2025, he was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.
