Former "Crimea prosecutor" wanted for treason in Ukraine allegedly delivers aid to Kherson region - Russian state-controlled media
Tuesday, 8 March 2022, 15:19
Former Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya, who sided with the Russian occupying forces in 2014, allegedly came to Ukraine to bring food to the Kherson region.
Source: Russian state-controlled RIA Novosti
Details: Ria Novosti reports that Poklonskaya delivered food and medicine to civilians in the Kherson region together with the Russian National Guard.
Poklonskaya claimed that "the nationalists are threatening to kill the local population– including burning their houses if they accept humanitarian aid from Russia."
Why is this important: Russia attacked Ukraine on the morning of 24 February. Russian forces continue to bomb residential areas and kill civilians. Still, Ukrainians organise protest rallies against the occupying forces. Even in those cities where a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as a result of air strikes, locals are refusing help offered by the Russian Federation.
Background: Poklonskaya is a native of the Luhansk region. Prior to the occupation of Crimea, she worked in the prosecutor’s office. In 2014, she sided with the separatists, and in March 2014 she was appointed "prosecutor general of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea."
It was at Poklonskaya’s request that the Mejlis [the autonomous government] of the Crimean Tatar people, which Russia considered "extremist," was banned. Poklonskaya also worked on the prosecution in the case of director Oleh Sentsov and Euromaidan [the 2014 Revolution of Dignity] participant Oleksandr Kostenko.
Poklonskaya was the "prosecutor of Crimea" until the fall of 2016. She then was elected as a representative in the State Duma of Russia as a member of the Edinaya Rossiya [United Russia] party.
Ukrainian law enforcement officials have declared Poklonskaya wanted for treason, separatism, seizure of power, and criminal organisation. In addition, she was sued for banning the Mejlis and persecuting Ukrainian people.
