Ukraine's Security Service identifies 15 collaborators preparing sham elections in Luhansk Oblast

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has identified 15 collaborators who are preparing sham elections to local occupation bodies in the temporarily occupied part of Luhansk Oblast.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine; Ukrainska Pravda’s sources in law enforcement agencies

Details: According to one scenario, the occupiers plan to hold sham elections in September 2023. During the illegal voting, they are to elect "MPs" to the pseudo-parliament of the "LPR" [self-proclaimed and non-recognised Luhansk People’s Republic – ed.], as well as "councils" of the so-called "municipalities".

The collaborators exposed by the SBU are engaged in the arrangement of "polling stations" and the recruitment and instruction of "personnel". They are also conducting a large-scale campaign in support of the sham elections.

In addition, they formed so-called territorial election commissions to falsify voter turnout and voting results.

Six of the defendants have already held a sham referendum in Luhansk Oblast in September 2022.

Quote: "Among the enemy's supporters are the heads of the ‘election commission of the LPR’, as well as representatives of the territorial branches of the Kremlin's United Russia political party and other political forces presented in the State Duma [the lower chamber of the Russian parliament – ed.]."

More details: Ukrainska Pravda sources in law enforcement agencies shared a list of those involved in the occupiers’ sham elections:

• Olena Kravchenko (born in 1983), head of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Maksym Prykhodko (born in 1978), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Tetiana Prykhodko (born in 1972), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Kateryna Tereshchenko (born in 1986), secretary of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Marianna Skorniakova (born in 1990), deputy head of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Volodymyr Babenko (born in 1990), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Nataliia Kulichenko (born in 1972), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Oksana Nykytiuk (born in 1986), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Serhii Bielov (born in 1983), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Olena Sakura (born in 1968), member of the so-called election commission of the LPR;
• Oleksandr Yermolenko (born in 1985), second secretary of the Luhansk Republican Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation;
• Vitalii Neveselyi (born in 1983), head of the Sievierodonetsk city branch of the New People political party;
• Maksym Uvarov (born in 1980), head of the Luhansk Republican Department of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia;
• Hennadii Tarakanov, chairman of the council of the regional branch of the party A Just Russia - For Truth;
• Denys Miroshnychenko, secretary of the Luhansk branch of the United Russia party.

The SBU investigators initiated criminal proceedings under Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration).

Since the exposed collaborators are located in the temporarily occupied part of the oblast, comprehensive measures are being taken to bring them to justice. The offenders face up to 15 years in prison.

Background:

• The Ukrainian parliament called on the world not to recognise sham elections in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
• In September 2022, the SBU announced the exposure of three more collaborators in Luhansk Oblast, including a 19-year-old girl who was actively involved in Russian propaganda.
• The SBU detained two women in the liberated part of Luhansk Oblast who leaked information about Ukrainian patriots and IDPs to the occupiers and then tried to gain the trust of the Ukrainian military.
• The Security Service of Ukraine identified four occupiers' accomplices who joined the occupiers' punitive Ministry of Internal Affairs units in the occupied part of Luhansk Oblast.

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