A Kherson resident was sent to a pretrial detention center for posts about a “bright future” with Russia

A court has imposed a pretrial restriction on a Kherson resident suspected of supporting the Russian occupation and the illegal “referendum” in the fall of 2022. According to investigators, the woman called on people to vote for the annexation of the Kherson region to the Russian Federation and repeatedly praised the actions of the aggressor country’s military.

This was reported by Intent, citing a ruling by the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

Investigators claim that in the fall of 2022, during the occupation of Kherson, the woman actively commented on posts in pro-Russian Telegram communities under a pseudonym. One of the key pieces of evidence in the case was a comment she left on the eve of the so-called “referendum” onthe annexation of the Kherson region to the Russian Federation.

According to law enforcement, she wrote: “Good morning! I hope today’s voter turnout will be higher than yesterday’s. People of Kherson, vote for a bright future—we are under reliable protection.” Investigators believe that with these words, the woman called for support of the pseudo-referendum organized by the occupying authorities.

The case file also cites a number of other comments. In particular, following reports of Russian air defense operations, she wrote:“Two missiles were shot down over our house, and shrapnel landed here. Thank you to the guys who are protecting us. May God protect you!” Investigators also noted comments in which the woman expressed support for Russian military personnel, thanked them, and wished them survival.

During the court hearing, the suspect stated that, due to the significant amount of time that had passed, she did not remember the content of her comments. She asked not to be remanded in custody, emphasizing that she had not been hiding from the investigation and was caring for her family. As a result, the court ruled to remand the suspect in custody until August 10, 2026, but set bail at 66,560 hryvnias.

Additionally, the former head of a village council from occupied Crimea will stand trial for collaborating with the occupying authorities in the Kherson region. She encouraged locals to participate in the occupation and helped house the occupiers in abandoned homes.

Анна Бальчінос