Odesa court sentences Kherson resident to 10 years for collaboration

Khadzhibey District Court of Odesa has sentenced Kherson collaborator Serhiy Rybachok in absentia to ten years in prison with confiscation of property.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Information Service with reference to the verdict of the Khadzhibey District Court.

According to the investigation, on April 25, 2022, armed Russian servicemen entered the premises of the Kherson City Council and warned the head of the Kherson City Council, Igor Kolikhayev, his deputies and other employees of the city council that the management of the local administration was being transferred to the Russian Federation.

At the same time, the occupiers created their own military-civilian administration of the Kherson city territorial community of the Kherson district of the Kherson region, and Oleksandr Kobets, who was a citizen of Ukraine, voluntarily took the post of mayor of Kherson. The convicted Serhiy Rybachok entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Russians and agreed to take the position of the so-called advisor to the occupation city administration on economic development. Later, he became the first deputy head of the occupation administration.

In this position, he actively searched for people from among the city's residents who were willing to work in the illegally created occupation administration of Kherson. In addition, he persuaded utility workers to cooperate with representatives of the occupation authorities, including the director of Iksora, to establish passenger transportation in the region.

In November 2022, Kherson was liberated and the occupiers moved their pseudo-interim administration to Genichesk, so Serhiy Rybachok also went there, where he continued to perform his duties.

The court found Serhiy Rybachok guilty of collaboration and sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment with disqualification to hold positions in local government and engage in activities related to the provision of public services for fifteen years, with confiscation of property.

Кирило Бойко