Former Lawmaker Apprehended
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a former member of parliament from the banned Opposition Platform — For Life (OPFL) party on suspicion of aiding an aggressor state. The arrest was carried out at an office near Kyiv. The individual in question owns an industrial plant in the temporarily occupied eastern region of Luhansk, where he re-registered the enterprise under Russian law in 2022 following the full-scale invasion.
According to the investigation, the suspect purchased over €1 million worth of technological equipment from a Russian company based in Naberezhnye Chelny. To conceal the trade relationship with the Russian occupiers, he listed an affiliated Belarusian company as the official purchaser. During a search of his office, smartphones, computer equipment, seals, and documents were seized.
Legal Consequences
The suspect has been formally notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers aiding an aggressor state. He faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. Representatives of the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office stated,
"After the start of the full-scale war, the suspect purchased over €1 million worth of technological equipment from a Russian company in Naberezhnye Chelny."This case is part of a broader, ongoing effort by Ukrainian authorities to dismantle networks supporting Russia's war effort. The OPFL party, to which the suspect belonged, was banned by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council in 2022 for its pro-Russian stance.
This detention underscores the continued activity of Ukrainian law enforcement in combating collaboration with the aggressor state. It demonstrates that individuals with ties to occupied territories who maintain economic relations with Russia are subject to prosecution under Ukrainian law. In the context of the ongoing conflict, such operations are critical for national security and identifying those who threaten the country's sovereignty.