Under the procedural guidance of the Odessa regional prosecutor's office, a former member of the Odessa City Council, aligned with a pro-Russian party, has been formally accused.
The charges include treason, war propaganda, and justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, carried out via media channels (part 2 of Article 111, Article 436, part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, the ex-council member left Ukraine for Russia in 2014, where he engaged in activities harmful to Ukraine's sovereignty.
On February 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the suspect joined Russian forces in the temporarily occupied Kyiv region. He assisted the enemy in navigating the area and spread Kremlin narratives among the local population.
The ex-council member actively used his Telegram channel to issue open calls for Ukrainian soldiers to surrender and not resist. In his posts, he justified Russia's aggression, reported on the occupation, and disseminated misinformation.
He also gave an interview to a well-known Russian YouTube blogger, where he openly admitted to collaborating with the occupiers and claimed that Ukraine supposedly had no chance of victory.
He is currently wanted by authorities.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine in the Odessa region.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.