Under the direction of the Odessa regional prosecutor's office, charges have been filed against a former member of the Odessa City Council who acted in favor of the aggressor state.

He faces charges of treason, war propaganda, and justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, committed through media means (part 2 of Article 111, Article 436, part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, the former council member left for Russia in 2014, where he engaged in actions detrimental to Ukraine's sovereignty.

On February 24, 2022, the day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the suspect joined the Russian troops in the temporarily occupied territory of Kyiv region, assisting the enemy in navigating the area and spreading Kremlin narratives among the civilian population.

The ex-council member actively used his Telegram channel to post messages openly calling on Ukrainian soldiers to surrender and not resist. In his posts, he justified Russia's aggression, reported on the occupation's progress, and disseminated misinformation.

Moreover, the suspect gave an interview to a well-known Russian YouTube blogger, where he openly admitted his collaboration with the occupiers and claimed that Ukraine supposedly had no chance of victory.

He is currently wanted.

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 legal manner by a court verdict.