Former Crimean MP organized mining for Russia

A former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was served a notice of suspicion of illegal mining and aiding and abetting Russia. The investigation established that he organized the extraction of limestone and helped to provide the occupiers' army with resources.

This was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The General Director of Balaklava Ore Mining Administration named after A.M. Gorky, seized by the occupiers, and a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, was served in absentia with a notice of suspicion of illegal use of subsoil and aiding the aggressor state. He was previously charged with treason.

According to the Center for Investigative Journalism, it is Vladyslav Shmelkov. According to the investigation, Shmelkov is a former deputy from the Party of Regions, and since 2020, he has been the head of the occupation Balaklava regional office. Despite the licenses revoked in Ukraine, the company continues to operate under his leadership, using explosions to illegally extract limestone near Balaklava.

In 2023-2024, he also facilitated the transfer of material resources for the Russian army to the so-called svoy zone through a charitable group established on the basis of the enterprise. His actions were classified under Part 4 of Art. 240 and Part 1 of Art. 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. In addition, the trial on the fact of high treason against Shmelkov is ongoing.

Shmelkov has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2018. Previously, he was the head of the Crimean Soda Plant, and in 2014 he supported the occupation of Crimea and voted in favor of a referendum. After that, he received a Russian medal and was a member of the so-called "State Council of Crimea" from the United Russia party until 2019. Since June 2020, he has been the head of the Balaklava Regional Office, created on the basis of a seized Ukrainian enterprise whose shares belong to Ukrrudprom.

A former deputy from Crimea, who ran for the occupation Duma and publicly praised the Russian military, will also be tried. He is accused of collaboration and justifying Russian aggression. According to the investigation, Enver Abduraimov sided with Russia after the annexation of the peninsula, and in 2015 he was notified of suspicion of treason, after which he was added to the search database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Анна Бальчінос