Donetsk Ex-Policeman Sentenced to 15 Years for High Treason and

A former policeman from Donetsk region was sentenced to 15 years in prison for high treason. He took part in the occupation of Kherson region, helped Russians conduct filtration activities and kidnapped pro-Ukrainian citizens.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Vinnytsia City Court.

According to the investigation, in June 2014, the former Interior Ministry employee voluntarily joined the illegal armed groups of the so-called "DPR". He became the head of the "Makiivka City Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR", cooperating with the occupation administration.

Later, he moved to the "transport inspection of the Ministry of Transport of the DPR," which controlled the movement of vehicles and citizens at checkpoints and participated in filtration activities against the civilian population.

In 2022, after the full-scale Russian invasion, the accused arrived in the temporarily occupied Kherson. Here he cooperated with Russian military units: he set up checkpoints, conducted searches, and checked citizens' documents. In addition, he participated in the so-called "filtration activities" - he identified and abducted pro-Ukrainian individuals and those who assisted the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In July 2022, during an interview with one of the Russian propaganda TV channels, the accused publicly stated that Kherson had allegedly "become part of Russia forever" by openly supporting the Kremlin's occupation policy. This interview was shared online and attached to the criminal case file.

After the liberation of Kherson by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the man fled to the temporarily occupied Mariupol. There, he also continued to work for the enemy, dressed in Russian military uniform, guarding checkpoints, checking documents, and assisting the occupation administration.

A video was also published online showing the collaborator being awarded for his "service" in the ranks of the so-called "law enforcement agencies of the Donetsk People's Republic". These materials are attached to the criminal case.

The court found him guilty of high treason, participation in illegal armed groups and aiding the aggressor state. The final sentence was 15 years' imprisonment with confiscation of all his property and a ban on holding positions in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies for the same period.

Recently, the Security Service of Ukraine identified ten police officers from Kherson region who joined an illegal battalion of the so-called local Ministry of Internal Affairs under the control of the occupiers and carried out criminal orders. All of them were served suspicion notices of collaboration in absence.

Also, a member of the illegal armed group of the Donetsk People's Republic was served suspicion notices in absentia for torturing a resident of Kherson region and threatening to kill his newborn child. She participated in repressions in the occupied territory, using physical and psychological violence.

Анна Бальчінос