The SSU has collected evidence against russian citizen Sergey Eliseev, who headed the ‘government’ of russia’s occupation administration in the temporarily occupied Kherson region for almost six months.

Eliseev is a former FSB officer and is close to russia’s top military and political leadership.

At the time of the full-scale invasion, Eliseev was the first deputy governor of Kaliningrad region. He was then seconded to Kherson, where carried out moscow’s instructions to suppress resistance and form kremlin’s regime.

One of his main tasks was to prepare the sham referendum on the ‘accession’ of Kherson oblast to russia and ensure the right ‘vote count’ required by the kremlin.

According to the investigation, in periods when gauleiter Saldo was absent, Eliseev performed his ‘duties’ and led the local occupation authorities.

On the eve of Kherson’s liberation, the russian official together with his accomplices crossed to the left-bank part of the region and then went to russia. In December 2022, he again received a position in the government of Kaliningrad region.

Based on the collected evidence, the SSU notified Eliseev of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 436-2.3 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants);
• 111-1.6 (organization and active participation in political events in cooperation with the aggressor state and its occupation administration aimed at supporting the aggressor and its occupation administration).

Since the suspect is hiding from prosecution, comprehensive efforts are underway to bring him to justice.

Today, the person in question is under sanctions of many European states and the US.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of Kherson Region Prosecutor’s Office.