Pro-Russian Ukrainian politician accused of justifying Russian aggression detained while attempting to flee Ukraine – photos
Ukrainian law enforcement officers in Zakarpattia Oblast have detained Volodymyr Honcharov, a member of Chyhyryn City Council (Cherkasy Oblast) from the banned Opposition Platform for Life party, known for its pro-Russian stance. Prior to this, the detainee had been served with a notice of suspicion on charges of justifying Russia's war crimes and denying its armed aggression against Ukraine.
Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Office in Cherkasy Oblast; Ukrainska Pravda source in law enforcement agencies
Quote: "As a result of comprehensive actions, a member of the Chyhyryn City Council from the banned OPFL party has been detained while attempting to unlawfully cross the Ukrainian border into Slovakia."
Details: Ukrainska Pravda sources report that the politician in question is Volodymyr Honcharov, a member of the Chyhyryn City Council from the OPFL.
It is noted that the SSU served the politician with a notice of suspicion in March 2024 on charges of justifying Russian war crimes and denying armed aggression against Ukraine. The investigation revealed that the suspect has been publicly supporting the Kremlin's actions since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He disseminated pro-Russian narratives about the socio-political situation in Ukraine among his own circle. He shared videos, reels and messages containing overt Russian propaganda and psychological operations in his correspondence.
Additionally, law enforcement officers discovered that the suspect had been in contact with Volodymyr Oliinyk, a former member of the Ukrainian parliament from the now-banned Party of Regions, who fled to Russia to evade justice.
The detainee spread disinformation about Ukraine's security and defence forces in frontline areas during his correspondence with Oliinyk, aiming to discredit the Ukrainian military.
The politician attempted to flee abroad while under nightly house arrest. Following his detention, the court imposed a stricter measure of restraint, placing him under round-the-clock house arrest and requiring that he wear an electronic tag.
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