Traitor in Kherson painted Ukrainian symbols with tricolor colors

While Kherson was under occupation in the summer of 2022, and people were protesting at gunpoint, a completely different image of the city was being formed in the offices of the seized Trade Union Building - allegedly "loyal, young and pro-Russian." A local "activist" played a role in creating this illusion.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

According to the investigation, in August 2022, groups of young men with paint appeared on the streets of the temporarily occupied city. Formally, it was presented as a patriotic initiative, but in fact it was a planned information operation. With the support of the Russian military leadership and the occupation administration, the project "Streets of Kherson" was launched, which aimed to displace Ukrainian symbols from the city space.

The accused became the public face of this campaign. Investigators established the routes of his movements - from the territory of the Kherson Biological Factory on Makarova Street to industrial zones on Druzhby Street. The scenario was repeated: he would paint over Ukrainian symbols with the colors of the Russian flag while being filmed, accompanied by comments for the media.

On the recordings, which later became evidence in court, he called Ukrainian state symbols "fascist" and claimed that the youth of Kherson allegedly supported life under the Russian flag. These videos were actively shared on Telegram channels, creating a picture of alleged mass support for the occupation.

However, his activities were not limited to graffiti. The investigation found that he was part of a pro-Russian press distribution network. The main point of delivery was the seized Trade Union Building on Ushakova Avenue, where representatives of the Russian special services and the so-called Youth Department were based. It was there that he received copies of the Naddnepryanska Pravda newspaper.

These publications contained anti-Ukrainian materials and direct calls for the separation of Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The newspapers promoted the thesis of Kherson's "Russian" status and justified a full-scale invasion.

Witnesses - residents of the Textile district - told the court that every evening a group of young men gathered at the stadium, where they distributed packages of propaganda materials. In the morning, the defendant and his accomplices distributed these newspapers in local markets, effectively forcing them on passersby. An expert examination confirmed that the materials contained calls to change state borders and justify Russian aggression.

In court, the defense insisted that the defendant only "participated in the events" and did not conduct any information activities. However, the evidence - video, eyewitness testimony and other materials - showed that he acted deliberately, in collusion and with the intent to harm the national security of Ukraine.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, this is Maksym Abramov. He was served with a notice of suspicion in March 2025. The court sentenced him in absentia to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property and a 15-year ban on working in the media sector. Since the sentence was passed in absentia, the sentence will begin from the moment of his arrest. He is currently in hiding.

Also in April, three collaborators who helped the occupiers impose Russian order in education and local life were exposed in Kherson region. Their activities included propaganda, pressure on parents, and participation in a pseudo-referendum - all three have now been served with suspicion notices.

Анна Бальчінос