Mykolaiv court presents new evidence of former commander's treason

The trial of Eduard Shevchenko, a former commander and official of the Ochakiv City Council, continues in Mykolaiv. He is accused of high treason and passing intelligence to the Russians.

This was reported by the Media Initiative.

In Mykolaiv, the court is considering the case of Eduard Shevchenko, former commander of the 73rd Naval Center of the Special Operations Forces and former official of the Ochakiv City Council.

Investigators accuse him of treason: he allegedly tried to recruit Ochakiv Mayor Serhiy Bychkov, passed intelligence to Russian special services in 2017-2019, and informed the enemy about the consequences of shelling. According to the prosecutor's office, his motives were financial benefits, security guarantees, and resentment over his dismissal from the service. Shevchenko was detained in January 2023, and the court has been hearing the case since February 2024.

At a hearing on September 4, the court examined fragments of phone calls and correspondence related to the suspect. The evidence included materials from the Telegram account of Oleh Butskyi, a former militant of the "MGB DNR" who contacted Shevchenko under the pseudonym "Kobzar." In the correspondence, Butsky discussed the protection of foreign specialists in Odesa, meetings and movements of the military, as well as messages from "his man" that, according to the investigation, concerned Shevchenko.

Prosecutor Anton Malyuk emphasized the testimony allegedly confirming the recruitment of the officer by the Russians and his transfer of intelligence. Shevchenko's lawyer, Oleksandr Gerasymov, objected: the records were obtained in an unknown way, the pre-trial investigation did not interview the defendant, and some of the evidence did not relate to his official duties. Shevchenko himself stated that he had no contacts with Russian special services and called the wiretapping a provocation.

The panel of judges extended Shevchenko's detention for another two months. He met the decision without emotion. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29.

Eduard Shevchenko used to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and took part in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. In 2014-2016, he commanded a special forces unit and received several state awards, including the Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the Order of Courage. In 2016, he became the head of the 73rd Marine Center of the SSO, but a year later he was dismissed by the military medical commission, which the defendant himself considered a politically motivated decision.

At the time of Russia's full-scale invasion, Shevchenko worked in the Ochakiv City Council, where he was responsible for security and video surveillance. According to the SBU, he allegedly acted as an agent of the Russian Federation under the pseudonym "Master", collecting and transmitting information about the situation in the city to the enemy.

Анна Бальчінос