Three Ukrainian Citizens Sentenced for Collaboration and Participation in a Terrorist Organization
Under the public accusation of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, three Ukrainian citizens were found guilty of collaborationist activities (Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Additionally, one of them was sentenced for participation in a terrorist organization (Part 1 of Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
They were sentenced to 15 and 14 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. They were also prohibited from holding positions in law enforcement agencies for a period of 15 and 14 years and stripped of special ranks accordingly.
Evidence and Accusations
Prosecutors proved in court that in April 2022, fire department officials deliberately did not withdraw to Ukrainian-controlled territory and voluntarily sided with the enemy. Instead, they cooperated with the occupation administration and took jobs in illegal law enforcement agencies in the so-called DPR.
The men obtained the same positions they previously held in the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Donetsk region. Specifically, they worked as a rescuer of the rescue department and a master of the gas and smoke protection service department, but now in the 69th fire-rescue station of the State Budgetary Institution ‘Fire Rescue Unit of the City of Volnovakha of the Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Management of the DPR’. Both accused were given the rank of ‘Senior Sergeant of Civil Protection Service.’
In addition, one more individual accepted the offer from September 2014 to August 2022 to work in the 23rd fire-rescue unit of the State Fire-Rescue Unit of the city of Horlivka of the Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Management of the DPR.
The latter held a position as chief state inspector for fire supervision – head of the supervisory activity and preventive work group, and later temporarily performed the duties on the mentioned position. Advancing in service, from August 2022 he was admitted to the Department of Supervisory Activities and Preventive Work Mikytivskyi District of Horlivka, Supervisory Activities and Preventive Work of the Horlivka City District of the Management of Supervisory Activities and Preventive Work of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation in the DPR. There, he held the position of senior investigator with a special rank – captain of the internal service.
Investigation and Conclusions
While holding pseudo-positions, the accused participated in the activities of illegal organizations, thereby ensuring the establishment and strengthening of the occupying power of the Russian Federation and the so-called DPR in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The special pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators of the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigations located in Lviv, based on materials from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Lviv region.