Cars and apartments taken away from Kherson region's communal worker for intimidating fellow citizens under occupation

An employee of a municipal enterprise from the Kherson region was sentenced for active cooperation with the Russian invaders and betrayal of her native land. She headed a number of illegal structures and intimidated her fellow citizens for refusing humanitarian aid from the enemy.

This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism.

Olha Vedmedovska, a 62-year-old employee of a utility company from Kakhovka, was found guilty of collaborating with the occupation authorities. Since 2022, she had been working for the Russian invaders, and in 2023 she became a deputy of the occupation "council of municipalities" in Kakhovka. On July 3, the Novovorontsov District Court sentenced her in absentia.

According to the court, Olga Vedmedovska, a native of Nova Kakhovka, voluntarily ran for the "council of municipalities" of the Kakhovka municipal district in 2023 from the pro-Russian United Russia party. After being elected, she joined the so-called permanent deputy commission.

According to media reports, she is a Kakhovka collaborator of the first wave, she worked at a local municipal transportation company, which she illegally headed after the occupation. Later, she headed the Kakhovka Communal Service, a company created by the occupiers, and was in charge of the funeral business in the city.

Witnesses in court confirmed that Vedmedovska was happy about the arrival of the Russian military and since 2014 has openly declared her rejection of Ukraine, calling Vladimir Putin its president. According to witnesses, she distributed Russian humanitarian aid, intimidated those who refused it, offered to cooperate with the occupiers, and promised to solve problems with the Russian military. She praised the Russians, forced people to issue Russian passports, and traveled under guard.

The court found the woman guilty in absentia under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - collaboration. She was sentenced to ten years in prison with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold public office and participate in elections for 15 years.

The state will own a part of the apartment (14/25), the apartment as a whole, as well as Chevrolet Epica, Kia Ceed and Nissan Sunny cars that belonged to the collaborator.

The court also sentenced a man who worked at the Kherson seaport during the occupation and helped the Russians build a pontoon crossing over the Dnipro River. It was at this time that the occupiers were moving captured ships from the port to Hola Prystan. The court sentenced him to 12 years in prison with confiscation of all his property, including a Toyota Camry 3456.

Анна Бальчінос