Lawyer Olga Panchenko Detained for Alleged Role in Armed Group in Odesa

The prosecutor's office commented on the detention of lawyer Olga Panchenko, who defends the interests of Oleg Maltsev. She is accused of participating in the activities of an illegal armed group organized by a group of people.

According to the prosecutor's office, the female lawyer was a member of the so-called "Operational and Combat Unit", which was created to seize state institutions in Odesa and the region by force in the event of an attack by the aggressor state's troops. The unit was headed by another local lawyer, a native of Crimea, who moved to Odesa after the occupation of the peninsula and gathered followers around him.

The group's plan included resistance to the Ukrainian military and the creation of occupation administrations. In particular, the suspect sought to take the "post of Odesa prosecutor" in the event of the city's capture. She was a member of a reconnaissance unit with the call sign "AGRA".

Photo: Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

During the search of the suspect's apartment, a 7.62×39 rifled carbine "FORT 205" assembled on the basis of an AKM assault rifle and four magazines for it were seized. Some of the other members of the group are already cooperating with the investigation and have given incriminating evidence against the suspect.

The lawyers announced suspicion of participation in the creation and activity of a paramilitary formation not provided for by the laws of Ukraine, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The prosecutor's office did not name the lawyer, but according to Intent, it is Olga Panchenko, who defends the interests of Oleg Maltsev, who was detained in September 2024 on suspicion of organizing a military intelligence task force of the Russian Federation in Odesa.

Earlier, Odesa media workers called on the head of the Odesa branch of the National Union of Journalists, Yuriy Rabotin, to resign and accused him of passing their personal data to Oleh Maltsev, who is accused of creating a combat group to overthrow the government. They reported that they were "concerned about the information about the conflict situation" and condemned the "dissemination of personal data".

Subsequently, Yuriy Rabotin issued a public statement in response to the journalists' accusations, and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine suspended the issuance of journalists' certificates through its Odesa regional organization.

Ірина Глухова