The Security Service of Ukraine reported a new suspicion of collaborationist activity against a resident of Kakhovka, Ihor Bzhezytskyi, who voluntarily cooperated with the Russians.
This is stated on the website of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The investigation established that Bzhezytskyi, no later than April 2023, voluntarily assumed the position of deputy head of the occupation administration of the so-called Kakhovka municipal district.
In this position he “takes care of” the social sphere and manages the work of illegally created departments — culture and tourism, education and youth, labor and social protection, sports, and juvenile affairs.
According to law enforcement, Bzhezytskyi actively implements Russian standards in education, organizes propagandistic cultural events, and holds citizen receptions to allocate payments under Russian legislation. He has also established cooperation with Russian charitable foundations and involves representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in conducting propaganda in favor of Russia.
Bzhezytskyi’s actions have been classified under part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (voluntary assumption of a position in illegal authorities on temporarily occupied territory). The sanction of the article provides, in particular, imprisonment for a term of 5 to 10 years.
Prior to this, in the summer of 2025, Ihor Bzhezytskyi was suspected of collaborationist activity – he took part in illegal elections in the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast.
Ihor Bzhezytskyi was born in the village of Velyky Mydsk in the present-day Kostopil community of Rivne Oblast.
In the Kherson region he was engaged in business – Bzhezytskyi is the head and shareholder of the Kakhovka Experimental Mechanical Plant. He also had a sole proprietorship for retail trade from stalls and at markets selling food products, beverages, and tobacco products.
In addition, Ihor Bzhezytskyi is a church figure – he is the current head of the parish in honor of Prince Volodymyr in Kakhovka and was the head of the diocesan department for family affairs of the Novokakhovka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
In 2010 he was elected as a deputy to the Kherson Regional Council for the “Party of Regions”.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 he threatened to split his own diocese and helped to loot the property of the Kakhovka community.
After the episode described by the SBU regarding his work as head of the education department Ihor Bzhezytskyi was promoted to deputy head of the occupation administration of Kakhovka.