Ex-SSU major from Crimea delivered quadcopters for Russian soldiers

A former SBU major in Sevastopol was served with a notice of suspicion of high treason and aiding and abetting Russia. He sided with the enemy, transferred material resources to Russian armed forces and distributed propaganda materials.

This is stated in the suspicion of the Prosecutor General's Office.

The Security Service of Ukraine has served a notice of suspicion to Vitaliy Mefanik, a former senior operative of the SBU in Sevastopol, of high treason, aiding the aggressor state and spreading pro-Russian propaganda. According to the investigation, he voluntarily sided with Russia after the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and assisted Russian armed groups.

Mefanik, born on May 25, 1979, swore allegiance to Ukraine and pledged to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity while serving in the SBU. However, in March-April 2014, after the occupation of Crimea, he failed to report to the SSU Central Office in Kyiv and illegally evaded service, violating orders and military discipline. As a result, he was dismissed for incompetence.

At the same time, Mefanik voluntarily joined the federal security service in the occupied Crimea, where he organized the collection and transfer of material resources for illegal armed groups of the Russian Federation. In particular, he personally delivered quadcopters for Russian military units to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in 2023.

In addition, the suspect was engaged in propaganda activities: on social media, he disseminated materials that justified Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine and denied the temporary occupation of Crimea. Among them were publications about the so-called "reunification of Crimea with Russia," events of pro-Russian organizations and awarding of participants in special operations.

Mefanik is suspected of committing a number of crimes under the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• high treason (part 1 of Article 111)
• aiding and abetting the aggressor state (Part 1 of Article 111-2);
• dissemination of materials that justify the aggression of the Russian Federation (part 3 of article 436-2);
• desertion (part 1 of Article 408).

The investigation noted that Mefanik's actions were systematic and voluntary, and his decisions were deliberate and aimed at harming the state.

Three former Crimean law enforcement officers will also be tried for treason. After the occupation of the peninsula, they joined the Russian law enforcement agencies, betraying their oath of allegiance to Ukraine, and took key positions in the occupation bodies of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Анна Бальчінос