A court sentenced a retired Ministry of Internal Affairs officer from Kherson for distributing Russian license plates for cars

A former Ministry of Internal Affairs employee from Kherson was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property for collaborating with the occupying authorities. During the occupation of the city, he worked at the Russian-established “MREO,” where he registered vehicles according to Russian regulations and issued license plates.

This is stated in the verdict of the Kherson City Court.

According to the Ukrainian judiciary, the convicted man is Mykola Potapenko, a resident of Kherson. The court found that in the summer of 2022, he voluntarily took on the position of “specialist in the vehicle registration department” at an illegal law enforcement agency established by the occupying authorities.

According to the case file, the man accepted documents from car owners, processed their registration and re-registration, verified vehicle identification numbers, and prepared and issued Russian registration documents and license plates.

During the trial, Mykola Potapenko did not admit his guilt. He claimed that Russian military personnel forced him to report to the occupation “MREO” by threatening him and his family members. According to him, he did not work there but merely complied with the occupiers’ demands out of fear for his life.

However, the court did not accept this version of events. The defendant’s former colleagues testified that they had seen him at his workplace. According to them, he interacted freely with other employees, talked about his new job, and mentioned receiving a salary.

In addition, investigators seized documents from the occupying “MREO,” including a list of employees bearing the defendant’s signature. A handwriting analysis confirmed that the signatures belonged to Mykola Potapenko.

The court also noted that after the de-occupation of Kherson, the man did not file any reports with Ukrainian law enforcement regarding threats or coercion to cooperate.

The case file indicates that, as a result, the occupying “MREO” transferred Kherson residents to the Russian vehicle registration system and issued them Russian-style license plates and driver’s licenses.

Mykola Potapenko was detained in March 2023. The court found him guilty under Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—voluntarily holding a position in an illegal law enforcement agency in a temporarily occupied territory.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with confiscation of all his property and a 15-year ban on holding public office. The time spent in custody since March 22, 2023, will be credited toward the sentence. The verdict may still be appealed in the appellate court.

Earlier, the court handed down a verdict to an employee of the Donetsk Drama Theater who, during the occupation of Kherson, served in the ranks of the illegal armed group “DNR” and was on duty at a checkpoint near the Antonivsky Bridge.

Ірина Глухова