The price of betrayal: officials of the occupiers in Kherson region received millions

In the occupied Kherson region, collaborators receive millions, while teachers and doctors wait months for their salaries. The region's finances are spent on bonuses and the "functioning" of officials.

This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism.

A deep budget collapse continues in the occupied part of Kherson region, while local collaborators receive millions from the Russian authorities. The salaries and bonuses of the so-called "heads of administrations" exceed the incomes of legitimate community leaders by several times.

Each of the 14 heads of the occupation "municipal districts" receives an average of 2-3 million hryvnias a year in salaries and bonuses from the Russian Federation, while employees of schools, hospitals and utilities wait months for their salaries. Financial documents show that in addition to the basic salary, collaborators regularly receive additional payments "for honest work," compensation for living expenses, and allowances for Russian awards.

For example, Yevhenia Kuzmenko, the head of the Novotroitsk district, received more than 3.3 million hryvnias last year, while the legal head of the community, Serhiy Peretyatko, received only about 780 thousand. The picture is similar in the Henichesk community: the local "leader" Yulia Semyakina earned more than 2.6 million hryvnias, while the legitimate head of the community earned about 1.1 million.

Also in Nyzhni Serohozy, the head of the local occupation administration Vladyslav Nikitenko received more than UAH 7 million last year, while the highest paid legitimate head of the region Yaroslav Shanko received about UAH 1.3 million.

Local collaborators receive large bonuses and payments without any control, while state employees are left without salaries for several months. The budget deficit becomes critical, especially in the fall, when some teachers, doctors, public utilities and farmers are forced to work without pay or go to the "occupation prosecutor's office" to get their money.

Thus, a complete disproportion has been created on the left bank of the Kherson region: millions go to the income of collaborators, while ordinary residents and community workers remain penniless and under constant financial pressure.

At the same time, last year Kherson region demonstrated one of the highest average salaries among the regional state administrations of Ukraine. However, the region has a critical staff shortage - more than 38% of vacant positions.

Анна Бальчінос