Defector MP glorified occupiers in Kherson region and will stand trial

In Kherson region, law enforcement officers served a local resident with a suspicion of collaboration and support for Russian aggression. The investigation believes that he participated in pseudo-elections, held a position in the occupation body and publicly glorified the Russian military.

This was reported by the press service of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the investigation, in 2023, the 51-year-old man took part in pseudo-elections to an illegally created body, the so-called Kherson Regional Duma, from the United Russia party. After receiving the mandate, he took the position of "Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Budget."

While holding the status of a deputy, the suspect repeatedly made statements at public events in support of the "presidential elections in Russia" and glorified the aggressor state and its military.

In addition, he maintained his own Telegram channel, where he published materials about his activities and content demonstrating loyalty to the occupation authorities and the Russian army. Among other things, there was a video of his speech about the so-called "perpetuation of memory" of the Russian military killed in Kherson region.

Under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office, the resident of the region was served in absentia with a notice of suspicion of collaboration and public justification of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine (Part 6 of Article 111-1, Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The case concerns a former deputy from Crimea who ran for the illegal "regional duma" and publicly glorified the Russian military. He is suspected of collaborating and justifying Russia's armed aggression.

From 2006 to 2012, he worked as an assistant to people's deputies of Ukraine. In 2009, he served as a senior inspector of the Control and Audit Department in Crimea. After the annexation of the peninsula, he sided with Russia, and in 2015 he was suspected of treason.

Also, a former deputy of the Kherson District Council was brought to court for passing on data on the location and movement of Ukrainian armed forces units to Russian curators. In Kherson, he recorded the movements of Ukrainian troops, the construction of fortifications and weapons storage sites so that the enemy could strike with various types of weapons. He transmitted the information via a messenger installed on his phone.

Анна Бальчінос