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April 17, 2026, 8:42 a.m.
Former Ukrainian official heads the occupiers' customs in Kherson region
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PHOTO COLLAGE: vgoru.org
A former high-ranking Ukrainian customs official, Dmytro Afanasiadi, who held the title of "Honorary Customs Officer of Ukraine," defected to Russia after the occupation of Kherson region. He is now the head of the illegal Kherson customs post in the structure of the occupation authorities.
This was reported by Vgoru.
Former Ukrainian customs officer Afanasiadi, who worked for more than 20 years in the customs authorities and held senior positions in various regions, sided with the Russian authorities after the occupation of the Kherson region. As the journalists found out, he is now the head of the illegal Kherson customs post and the deputy head of the occupation Crimean customs.
He built his career under the influence of the former head of Kherson Customs Vitaliy Bulyuk, who is associated with corruption schemes and current activities in the occupation administration. This connection, according to the investigation, played a key role in both his professional growth and his subsequent defection to the enemy.
Until 2014, Afanasiadi was considered an influential customs officer, heading customs offices in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, but his activities were accompanied by corruption scandals. In particular, he was involved in a bribery case, but escaped responsibility due to a lack of evidence.
After his dismissal from the customs authorities, the official worked in local business and later became the deputy mayor of Skadovsk. At the time of Russia's full-scale invasion, he held this position, but after the occupation of the region, his activities became non-public.
Later it became known that he joined the occupation structures and returned to the customs sphere - already under Russian control. He headed the Kherson Customs Post, which is part of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation and plays an important role in controlling economic processes in the occupied territories.
In fact, these structures ensure the clearance of goods, including those that can be illegally exported from the occupied territories, including agricultural products. Thus, customs has become one of the key tools for the economic integration of the occupied regions into the Russian system.
The journalists also recorded Afanasiadi 's participation in official events of the Russian customs service in 2025, which confirms his active role in the work of the occupation authorities. The editorial team is currently preparing an appeal to the SBU to open criminal proceedings.
Also in April, former judge of the Kherson District Administrative Court Serhiy Varniak was notified of suspicion of collaboration. The disciplinary case against the judge was opened on February 7. According to the HCJ, in 2022, he remained in the temporarily occupied territory, explaining this by family circumstances.
