Uzhhorod City District Court of Zakarpattia Oblast found Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Kostenko guilty of collaborationist activity, namely for serving in an occupying body of the Russian Federation
This is stated in the court’s verdict.
The court established that in July 2022, during the occupation of Kherson, Kostenko voluntarily took the position of junior inspector of the 1st category of the security department in the illegal law enforcement body of the so-called Directorate of the Penitentiary Service for Kherson Oblast, created by the Russian occupation administration. He was also assigned the rank of sergeant of the internal service.
His duties included monitoring compliance with the regime for detaining prisoners on the institution’s premises.
Before the liberation of Kherson by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the fall of 2022, the Russian occupiers moved this body to another temporarily occupied territory of the oblast. Kostenko left the city with it and continued to carry out his duties.
In court, the defendant initially partially admitted guilt, but during the debates he completely denied it. He stated that he did not understand what constitutes treason, and claimed that the penal colony’s staff continued to work because Ukrainian law enforcement agencies had left the city.
At the same time, the court concluded that the man took the position voluntarily and was not under physical or psychological coercion. This was confirmed by the evidence and testimony examined in court.
Volodymyr Kostenko was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. In addition, the court barred him from holding positions in state authorities, local self-government and law enforcement bodies for a period of 11 years.
The term of serving the sentence will be counted from the moment of actual detention — February 28, 2024.