Ukrainian Official Charged With Treason for Tax Collaboration in Crimea

Ukrainian special services have collected evidence against an official who became a minister in occupied Crimea and forced local residents to pay taxes to Russia.

According to the SBU, he is accused of treason and collaboration.

According to the investigation, the suspect worked at the State Tax Service of Ukraine until 2014, but after the capture of the peninsula, he went over to the enemy and joined the occupation administration. He took a position in the so-called "Department of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation," where he later became involved in illegal schemes to enforce tax collection from Crimean residents.

In particular, in 2017, he became a member of a "working group" that was engaged in "legalizing" the mechanism of collecting land tax from individuals. The occupation official demanded that land owners register their property under Russian law and pay taxes to the Russian budget. In case of refusal, Crimeans were threatened with fines and confiscation of their property.

In addition, the defendant is involved in other financial frauds aimed at filling the Russian treasury through illegal charges from the local population. In 2024, the occupying "head of Crimea" Sergey Aksyonov promoted him to the position of "Deputy Minister for Economic Development".

Based on the evidence collected, the traitor was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 1 of Article 111 (high treason) and Part 5 of Article 111-1 (collaboration). Comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against Ukraine.

The name of the suspect has not been disclosed by the special services, but according to media reports, it is Serhiy Korolyov. Until 2014, he worked at the Tax Service of Ukraine, after the annexation he joined the occupiers, and in 2024 he received a new high position in the structure of the occupation authorities.

Intent has already written how the court punished two occupation deputy ministers from Crimea.

Before that, a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea of the VI convocation was sentenced to 13 years in prison for treason,

Three former judges from Crimea were also sentenced in absentia.

Ірина Глухова