Former mayor of Kupiansk turns out to be traitor

ROMAN PETRENKO – SUNDAY, 14 AUGUST 2022, 15:47

Volodymyr Demchenko, the former mayor of Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast), switched allegiance, siding with the Russian occupying forces. He has been informed of suspicion of collaborating with the Russians.

Source: Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Details: The investigation has established that the suspect, who served as the mayor of Kupiansk in 2010–2015 has voluntarily sided with the Russian occupying forces.

He has agreed to serve as the so-called "head" of the Russian-occupied Petropavlivka hromada (amalgamated territorial community) in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast.

Reference: Demchenko had also served as the head of the Kupiansk city branch of the Partiia Rehioniv (Party of Regions; currently banned, - ed.) and had opposed the bids for European integration which sparked a wave of protests known as Euromaidan.

Media report that Demchenko had organised mass rallies [in opposition to Euromaidan] as well as brigades of titushky [hired thugs who supported the Ukrainian police during the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, often posing as street hooligans with the purpose of performing illegal acts - ed.] to be sent to Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Later on, Demchenko joined the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko, the then-president Petro Poroshenko’s political party.

Background: Mayor of Kupiansk Hennadii Matsehora, member of the Opposition Platform – For Life [a pro-Russian and Eurosceptic political party - ed.], assisted the Russian occupiers in taking over the city.

Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has indicted Matsehora for high treason and encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine in his capacity as a state official.

Ukrainian officials have reported that he later fled to Russia and was arrested there.

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