The former head of the State Food and Consumer Service in Mykolaiv has become the face of the occupiers in the Kherson region

Oleg Kalnaus, the former head of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the Mykolaiv region, was sentenced to prison for collaborating with the Russian occupation authorities. 

The Center for Public Investigations uncovered details of the case and the former official’s background.

According to the investigation, in April 2023, Kalnaus agreed to head the “Kherson Regional Veterinary Administration,” which had been established by the occupiers. He managed the agency, recruited staff, organized the work of subordinate institutions, and implemented the Russian systems “Cerber” and “Mercury.”

The former official also participated in events in occupied Crimea, where he was introduced as the head of the Kherson Region Veterinary Service. According to court documents, he spoke about the work of the newly established agency and the need to transition to Russian legislation.

Investigators examined his activities even prior to the occupation. The case file mentions 2016 publications regarding criminal proceedings against Kalnaus, who at that time held a leadership position in the veterinary sector. There is also evidence that he was served a summons and a notice of suspicion of bribery.

Law enforcement officials were investigating the activities of the so-called “veterinarians’ organized crime group” at the time. The scheme may have involved employees of the veterinary service, customs, border guards, and other government agencies, and the state budget may have lost approximately 20 million hryvnias.

According to the case file, not only actual livestock but also “virtual” livestock— animals that did not actually exist but were listed in the documents—may have been exported abroad. 

Additionally, during the hearing on the pretrial measure, the prosecutor’s office alleged that Kalnaus held $5.7 million in trust assets in the United Kingdom. Despite the ongoing proceedings, in 2017 he took over as head of the Main Directorate of the State Food and Consumer Service in the Mykolaiv region on a permanent basis.

As Intent reported, Kalnaus’s case regarding collaboration with the Russians during the occupation of the Kherson region was referred to court back in June 2024. 

Анна Літман