Kherson residents organized the movement of barges with Russian military equipment and robbed the port

Four residents of Kherson were sentenced to 12 years in prison for collaborating with the occupiers and stealing property from the river port. They helped the Russian military transport equipment and forced employees to hand over the company's property by threats.

This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism with reference to the court verdict.

According to the investigation, in 2022, Ihor Tkachenko, Serhiy Popov, Yevhen Savinkin, and Oleksandr Hetmansky worked at the Kherson River Port, illegally established by the occupiers.

They were involved in the theft of port property, including barges, equipment and diesel fuel, and helped to equip a pontoon crossing of the Dnipro River for the Russian military.

Tkachenko, a former director of the state seaport, voluntarily headed the fake company, organized recruitment, and paid salaries in rubles. He also forcibly took away the property of Ukrrichflot and threatened the port workers.

He also facilitated the transportation of Russian equipment by barge between Kherson and Hola Prystan. In early November 2022, on the eve of the Russian occupiers' retreat from Kherson, Tkachenko organized the transportation of the tug Kodak, the motor ship Zaton, the tug Ritsa, a crane, two tractors, and previously appropriated cars to the seized left bank.

His acquaintances, mechanic Popov, security guard Hetmansky and deputy director Savinkin, acted together with him, who also participated in the theft of machinery and office equipment and forced him to give back the vehicles.

Eyewitnesses said that the defendants acted aggressively and even threatened to kill them. The Kherson City Court found all four guilty in absentia on charges of aiding the enemy, illegal possession of weapons, and theft under martial law. They were sentenced to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property and a ban on working in the government for 15 years.

Also, 41-year-old Oleksandr Parkhomyuk was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison for aiding and abetting the Russian Federation. During the occupation, he worked as a deputy director of security at the fake Kherson port created by the occupiers and helped build a pontoon crossing near Antonivskyi Bridge.

After the occupation and shelling, the Kherson seaport was almost completely destroyed - equipment, buildings, ships and other property were lost. Despite numerous appeals, the government has not yet agreed with the concessionaire on a plan to restore the facility.

Анна Бальчінос