At the court hearing in the case of Kherson City Council deputy Illia Karamalikov May 20 the court questioned one of the main defense witnesses – Kherson entrepreneur Oleg Konovalenko.
This was reported by MIPL.
Konovalenko stated the defendant’s unequivocal pro-Ukrainian position and described how Karamalikov helped save three wounded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the occupied city.
Recall, the SBU and the prosecutor’s office accused Illia Karamalikov of treason for collecting and transmitting data to the Russians.
Oleg Konovalenko recalled the events of spring 2022. According to him, in the first weeks of the occupation he was in Chisinau, where together with friends he watched Karamalikov’s video addresses on Facebook every day and “had no doubts about his pro‑Ukrainian position”.
Returning to the city in mid‑March, Konovalenko joined the financing of the “people’s militia” led by Karamalikov.
According to the witness, at the beginning of April medics warned that the Russians were starting raids and were looking for wounded fighters. Konovalenko agreed to hide them in his house in the Ostriv neighborhood, and Karamalikov helped organize a safe passage through the occupied city.
“We were driving in two cars. In front were my wife and Andriy Tokaryev, and I was in the second car carrying these fighters. Tokaryev was in contact with Illia. As far as I know, he received from him information about the location of checkpoints and the safe route. That was the assistance.”
Konovaleko said that Karamalikov clearly understood whom they were hiding and what it risked. Moreover, later the deputy handed over clothing for Ukrainian military. Ultimately all three fighters were able to successfully leave for territory under Ukraine’s control via the Zaporizhzhia direction.
Regarding the episode with the Russian pilot, which formed the basis of the accusation, Konovalenko noted that he did not know the details, but believes Karamalikov’s actions were the only option when threatened at gunpoint.
Prosecutor of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office Andriy Bezkrovnyi tried to find out where exactly Karamalikov obtained spontaneous information about Russian checkpoints and whether this indicated contacts with the enemy. The witness replied that he had not personally heard those conversations, and that information in the city at that time was passed on by ordinary people who drove by and saw the military.
The prosecutor also asked whether the “people’s militia” coordinated the maintenance of order with the occupation commandant’s office.
“At that time the Russians were absolutely not managing the city. My impression is that they generally did not know what to do with it. So I do not think anything needed to be coordinated there. This is my personal opinion.”
After the witness’s testimony, presiding judge Ihor Chaikin announced a break. The next court hearing is scheduled for June 11, during which the court plans to move on to examining the remaining motions of the defense.
In May 2025 it became known that the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office reduced the charges against Karamalikov. Of the four counts he had been accused of, three were dropped.
On January 23, 2026 Illia Karamalikov was released from Kryvyi Rih pre‑trial detention center after paying bail.