The Ternopil City District Court in absentia found 53-year-old Ivan Korotky guilty of collaborationist activity — a former deputy and official from Kakhovka who in 2022 went to serve in the occupation police.
This was reported by the Center for Journalistic Investigations, citing the court’s verdict.
The investigation established that no later than July 2022 Korotky joined the people’s militia created by the occupiers in Kakhovka. It was later renamed the department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs “Kakhovsky”.
At first Korotky worked as an investigator within the occupiers’ structure, and later as a senior investigator. In February 2023 he transferred to serve in the occupation police in Nova Kakhovka.
According to the investigation, Korotky took part in the interrogations of employees of the Kakhovka City Council, demanded patient data from local hospital staff, forced them to switch to Russian and to cooperate with the occupiers. He also collected information about pro-Ukrainian residents and passed it to the enemy.
At the Kakhovka market Korotky demanded Russian permits to trade from sellers and pressured entrepreneurs, forcing them to register with the occupation administration and pay taxes to the invaders.
Investigators also documented his participation in the «investigation» of several criminal cases under Russian legislation in Nova Kakhovka in February and March 2023.
The verdict contains testimonies from local residents who described Korotky’s behavior during the occupation.
One witness said she saw him in the summer of 2022 in uniform with a white armband and a weapon when he entered the occupation administration.
Two other witnesses said they saw Korotky at the market, demanding that people submit to the occupiers and forcing doctors to keep records in Russian.
Another man also said Korotky persuaded him to go work for the occupation militia because he had previously served in the police.
Besides testimonies, investigators obtained internal documents of the occupation police of Kakhovka containing data about Korotky. Ukrainian law enforcement officers also called the occupation institution three times using fake names — there they confirmed that Korotky worked as a senior investigator.
The court found him guilty of collaborationist activity (part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Ivan Korotky was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property, including an apartment. After release he is also banned for 15 years from working in state service, in law enforcement agencies or from providing public services.
As previously reported by the Center for Journalistic Investigations, Ivan Korotky worked as a lawyer at the Kakhovka Electric Welding Equipment Plant, was a city council deputy from the Opposition Bloc and headed the city center of social services. He obtained the latter post with the support of then-mayor Andriy Dyachenko.
Note that in May 2024 the Ternopil City District Court in absentia seized the apartment of former deputy of the Kakhovka City Council from “Opposition Bloc” Ivan Korotky.