Minister of Ecology of Crimea under the occupiers was sentenced to 14 years for high treason

The former deputy head of the State Ecological Inspectorate in Crimea was convicted of high treason. She continues to work in the occupation Ministry of Ecology of the peninsula and receives awards from the Russian authorities.

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

The court found the former deputy head of the State Ecological Inspectorate guilty of treason in absence, who, after the occupation of the peninsula, sided with Russia and headed the so-called Ministry of Ecology of Crimea.

As the investigation established, in 2014, the Ukrainian citizen violated her oath as a civil servant and voluntarily took the position of "Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Crimea." She continued her career in the occupation authorities, and in October 2021 was appointed "Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources - Chief State Inspector of the Republic of Crimea", a position she holds to this day.

For her work for the invaders, the "official" was repeatedly awarded diplomas, gratitude from the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, received a medal "In commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the reunification of Crimea with Russia" and the departmental badge "Excellent Nature Protection".

She was sentenced to 14 years in prison with confiscation of property under public prosecution by the autonomy's prosecutor's office.

According to the Myrotvorets resource, she is Olga Shevtsova, who was born on April 29, 1984 in the city of Yevpatoriya. In 2006, she graduated with honors from the Tauride Humanitarian and Ecological Institute with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Protection. In 2014, she received a second degree in Public Administration from the Odesa Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy for Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, specializing in Public Administration.

She started her career in commercial structures in Yevpatoria (2001-2008), after which she worked as a state inspector in various departments of environmental control in Crimea (2008-2012). From 2012 to 2014, she headed the Department of Operational Environmental Control and was the Deputy Chief State Inspector in Simferopol.

Also in 2014, the former head of the Simferopol District Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine sided with the occupation authorities. He was sentenced in absentia to imprisonment for assisting the aggressor state against Ukraine. This is Sergei Nikolaev, who in March 2014 was appointed acting head of the city police department of Simferopol.

Анна Бальчінос