Terrorist Motorola’s associate, head of occupation ‘DNR parliament’, declared suspect

The SSU has documented new crimes by the collaborator Artem Zhoga, the head of the so-called ‘people’s council of the donetsk people’s republic’ in the temporarily occupied Donetsk.

His main task in this ‘position’ is to spread the kremlin regime under the guise of a pseudo-parliament in the temporarily occupied part of the region.

Zhoga is directly involved in the distribution of ‘budgetary’ expenditures of russia’s local occupation administration for the needs of the aggressor’s military formations.

Based on the collected evidence, SSU investigators notified the perpetrator of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU:

  • 111-1.5 (collaboration);
  • 111-2.1 (aiding the aggressor state).

According to the investigation, back in 2014, Zhoga supported terrorists in eastern Ukraine and joined the Sparta group together with his son. There, he became a close associate of the terrorist ‘Motorola’.

After the leader’s death, Zhoga’s son took over the group and fought against Ukraine until the spring of 2022, when he was killed near Volnovakha.

His father then took command of the terrorist unit.

The SSU established that on 9 May 2022 Zhoga had travelled to moscow to receive from putin’s hands the hero of russia star, which the occupiers posthumously awarded to his son.

He was also present in the kremlin when the russian president signed the so-called ‘agreement on accession to russia’ of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

In 2023, the collaborator took part in the sham elections in Donetsk representing the kremlin’s united russia party. As a result of the fake plebiscite, Zhoga was appointed ‘head of the DNR’s pseudo-parliament’.

Earlier, following the SSU’s investigation, Zhoga was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison for participating in a terrorist organisation and unlawful armed groups.

As the criminal is a fugitive from justice, efforts are underway to arrest him.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural supervision of Donetsk Region Prosecutor’s Office.