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April 2, 2026, 9:12 p.m.
"Minister of Sports" of the occupied Kherson region is suspected
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Olena Kirillova. Photo: collage by Intent
The Security Service of Ukraine has served a notice of suspicion of collaboration to the so-called acting Minister of Sports of the occupation administration of Kherson region Olena Kirillova.
This became known from the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the investigation, since August 2023, the suspect has held a senior position in the illegally created "Ministry of Sports" in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region.
In this position, she
- distributes responsibilities among subordinates
- appoints and dismisses employees
- controls the financing of the structure
- integrates the region's sports sector into the Russian system
According to the investigation, by doing so, she facilitates the functioning of the occupation authorities and the introduction of Russian management standards in the occupied territory.
It is known that before the full-scale invasion, Olena Kirillova lived in Crimea. She headed a youth center in Yalta, was vice president of the local boxing and breakdancing federations, and was repeatedly elected as a deputy in the occupation "municipal council" of Yalta.
In January 2025, she became the head of the regional branch of the Russian movement Mothers of Russia, an organization that supports Russia's war against Ukraine.
Investigators qualify her actions under the article on collaboration. Procedural actions are currently underway.
As Intent previously wrote, five members of an organized group will be tried in Kherson region, accused of "nationalizing" property in favor of the occupation authorities for more than UAH 100 million.
In addition, 47-year-old Oleksandr Babych, a native of the village of Kalanchak, Skadovsk district, Kherson region, was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property for cooperation. The sentence was passed by the Velyko Oleksandrivskyi District Court on March 11, 2026.
Also, Viktor Syrota, former secretary of the Oleshky City Council of Kherson Oblast, was found guilty of collaborating with the Russian occupation administrations. The court sentenced him to nine years in prison with confiscation of property.
As a reminder, prosecutors of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office sent indictments to the court against two residents of the region on the fact of voluntary election to illegal authorities.
