Kherson city council deputy accused of treason

Konstantin Syvak, a deputy of the Kherson City Council, was served with a notice of suspicion of high treason. He allegedly handed over boats and boats of the state inspection to the occupation authorities of the Russian Federation for more than UAH 4 million, contributing to subversive activities against Ukraine.

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

The Security Service of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion to Konstantin Valerievich Syvak, a native of Kherson, of committing high treason (Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He is charged with intentionally assisting a foreign state in conducting subversive activities against Ukraine.

According to the investigation, in 2020, Kostiantyn Syvak was elected as a deputy of the Kherson City Council of the VIII convocation. After the occupation of Kherson by Russian troops in March-April 2022, he established contact with representatives of the aggressor state and systematically maintained communication with them.

As law enforcement officers established, the official voluntarily handed over to the representatives of the Russian occupation authorities material assets belonging to the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Southern District, namely

• speedboat TUNA 865 Cabin with two outboard engines MERCURY ME-250FXL and a car trailer;
• boats TUNA 500DC AL "Ecoraid-1" and "Ecoraid-2" with MERCURY F100ELTPT EFI engines and car trailers for transportation.

The value of the transferred property exceeded UAH 4 million.

The investigation noted that Syvak acted consciously, realizing the existence of martial law, armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine and aggressive actions of the Russian Federation. His actions contributed to the strengthening of the Russian occupation administration in Kherson and the region, the creation of a system of governing bodies in the temporarily occupied territory and increased the mobility of occupation troops on the water.

Thus, Syvak is suspected of high treason, i.e., intentional actions aimed at harming the sovereignty, territorial integrity and defense capabilities of Ukraine, as well as the economic and information security of the state.

In Kherson region, former MP from Crimea Enver Abduraimov, who tried to run for the occupation Duma and publicly supported the Russian military, will also be tried. He is charged with collaboration and justification of Russia's armed aggression, and he voluntarily cooperated with the occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied territories of the region.

In addition, prosecutors in Kherson region have served suspicion notices to a number of other collaborators and accomplices of the occupiers. In recent months, 40 people have been served with suspicion notices, and 15 have already been sentenced to imprisonment with confiscation of property. Among them are two former members of local councils, a former judge's assistant, three employees of a state-owned plant, and others.

Анна Бальчінос