The SBU has notified 32 individuals in absentia of suspicion for voluntarily switching to the side of the aggressor state and actively participating in the activities of the occupiers’ illegally established authorities.
This is reported by the SBU Department in the Kherson region.
Investigations have established that the suspects consciously and on their own initiative collaborated with Russian occupiers, held positions in occupation administrations, pseudo-representative bodies, illegal law enforcement and judicial structures, as well as in the so-called EMERCOM of the Russian Federation.
They performed managerial, organizational, punitive and propaganda functions, implemented the Russian Federation’s policy aimed at undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and legal system, ensured the functioning of the occupation regime and the imposition of its “orders” on the local population.
Among the suspects — nineteen people who held leadership and representative positions in illegal authorities, in particular in so-called administrations and councils of deputies from Russian parties, and who were also organizers and perpetrators of the illegal pseudo-referendum.
In these pseudo-positions they took part in forming and adopting decisions in favor of the aggressor state, coordinated the work of subordinate structures, ensured the functioning of the occupation administration system and implemented the enemy’s plans to integrate the Kherson region into Russia.
Another four people held illegal positions in the occupiers’ law enforcement agencies, where they exercised forceful control over the population, participated in suppressing the resistance movement, carried out criminal orders of the occupation authorities, and also facilitated the forced imposition of Russian passportization.
Three, working in occupation courts, legalized Russia’s unlawful actions by issuing illegal court decisions, creating mechanisms of punishment and pressure on civilians who did not agree with the occupation regime.
In addition, two suspects in units of the so-called EMERCOM of the Russian Federation contributed to strengthening the aggressor state’s control over the region.
Two suspects publicly called for changing the borders of Ukraine’s territory and denied Russia’s armed aggression, spreading propaganda through media resources under their control.
Two other female perpetrators headed seized educational institutions, in which they implemented Russian education standards and assisted the aggressor state in carrying out its so-called humanitarian policy in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast.
SBU investigators qualified the actions of these persons under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 3, 5, 6 and 7 of Art. 111-1 (collaboration activities);
- Part 1 of Art. 111-2 (aiding the aggressor state);
- Part 3 of Art. 436-2 (justifying, recognizing as lawful, or denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine).