Court sentences ex-Odesa official who worked for occupiers in Kherson

The former Odesa official, who was previously linked to Roman Nalyvanyi's apartment scams, was convicted in absentia for collaboration.

According to IRS-Pivden, the relevant verdict was passed by the Kherson City Court on April 29, 2026.

The court found that after the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Nalyvanyi found himself in the temporarily occupied Kherson region, where he voluntarily agreed to cooperate with the occupation authorities no later than September. He headed an illegally created structure, the so-called housing office in the Suvorov district of Kherson.

According to eyewitnesses, the newly appointed head demanded that employees obtain Russian passports and open accounts in Russian banks, promising stable work and salaries in return. He also spread pro-Russian narratives, convincing them that life under occupation would be better.

The court found him guilty under the article on collaboration. At the same time, the charge of aiding the aggressor state was not proven.

The sentence in absentia provides for nine years in prison with confiscation of all property. In particular, the convict's Mercedes-Benz S550 car will be confiscated. In addition, he is banned from holding positions in government and state institutions for 14 years after serving his sentence.

The sentence has not yet entered into force.

Prior to the full-scale war, Nalyvanyi worked in Odesa's municipal structures and held senior positions. His name also appeared in criminal stories, including the case of fraud with housing for public utilities. In 2011, he was involved in a fatal car accident that killed a young passenger. The official himself was seriously injured and later detained by law enforcement.

After the occupation of part of southern Ukraine, Nalyvanyi continued to cooperate with the Russian administration. According to open sources, he headed other pseudo-structures, and in 2023 was even accused of fraud by the occupiers themselves.

Андрій Колісніченко