The Primorsky District Court of Odesa sentenced a 60-year-old resident of the village of Pravdyne in Kherson Raion, Sergiy Zhdanov. The man was found guilty of actively collaborating with Russian occupiers during the seizure of the region. Despite proven guilt in looting and aiding the Russians, the convict will soon be released.
This was reported by journalist Oleg Batyrin.
Witnesses in the case — Zhdanov’s former fellow villagers — said that before the war he had a low social status and no steady income. However, with the start of the occupation in February 2022 the man suddenly became wealthy.
Investigators and witnesses established that Zhdanov handed over livestock, food, alcohol and items taken from local residents to the occupiers, helped the Russians sell stolen fuel, pointed out former ATO participants and pro‑Ukrainian residents to them, and helped search for reconnaissance drones and Russian deserters.
After the liberation of the Kherson region, Zhdanov hid in Vinnytsia Oblast. In March 2023 he attempted to illegally cross the border into occupied Transnistria, but was detained. In court the collaborator fully admitted guilt, explaining his actions “by the difficult situation”.
The court qualified Zhdanov’s actions under Part 4 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (transfer of material resources to the aggressor). When passing sentence, the judge took into account a number of mitigating circumstances, among them the death of Zhdanov’s son in the war, having four minor children to support, a disability of group III and poor state of health, full remorse and the absence of prior convictions.
Sergiy Zhdanov was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment with confiscation of all property. Since the time spent in pre-trial detention (from March 2023) is credited toward the sentence, the convict is to be released on March 10, 2026 — immediately after the sentence becomes legally effective.