On December 22, 2025, the Kherson City Court found in absentia a resident of Tavriisk, the former deputy director of the lyceum Irina Tsvira guilty of aiding the state-aggressor. She was sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment without confiscation of property and was banned for 15 years from holding leadership positions in education and government bodies.
This is stated in the court’s verdict.
During the temporary occupation of Kherson region, the woman voluntarily agreed to head the illegally created Tavriisk school – before the full-scale invasion she held the position of deputy director at the lyceum on whose basis the Russians “founded” their school.
According to the verdict, from July to December 2022 Tsvira ensured the operation of this institution according to Russian educational standards, seized property of the Ukrainian lyceum, demanded that teachers return computer equipment and other devices, and also selected teaching and technical staff willing to cooperate with the occupation administration.
The court concluded that Tsvira’s actions were intentional and aimed at strengthening the occupying power of the Russian Federation and undermining Ukraine’s national security, but reclassified the charge from treason to aiding a state-aggressor (Art. 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The case was heard in a special judicial proceeding in absentia, as the accused is on temporarily occupied territory and is evading attendance at court.
Additionally, the court lifted the seizure on part of her property, since confiscation was not applied.
Previously we wrote that the court acquitted a former employee of the Kherson penal colony in a case of collaborationism.