Due to evidence collected by the SSU, another russian agent received a real prison term. The offender is a former deputy of Mykolaiv City Council, who was recruited at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion by an officer of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the russian federation (aka gru).

Following the aggressor's instructions, the traitor collected intelligence on the locations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the National Police in the region.

Later, he was tasked with developing the concept of the so-called ‘Mykolaiv People's Republic’ (‘mnr’), which the occupiers expected to create in case of the region’s seizure.

The invaders planned to appoint leaders of this pseudo-formation to address putin with a request to "join" Mykolaiv region to russia.

If the fake ‘republic was created, russian military intelligence promised its agent a senior "position" in the local occupation administration.

To fulfill the enemy's task, the traitor prepared a fake ‘justification’ for the creation of the so-called ‘mnr’, which he planned to send to moscow for ‘approval’.

However, SSU officers exposed the russian agent, documented his criminal actions and detained him in summer 2022.

Following the SSU investigation, the court sentenced the offender to 15 years in prison.

It was established, after his term in the city council, prior to russia’s full-scale invasion, he headed a department at the Mykolaiv Institute of Law of the National University ‘Odesa Law Academy’.

As planned by the aggressor, if the region was captured, the traitor had to speak in public on behalf of local academics in support of the occupiers and declare the creation of a fake "mnr".

Based on the evidence collected, the court found the offender guilty under four articles of the CCU:

• 111.2 (high treason committed under martial law)
• 110.1 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
• 111-2.1 (aiding the aggressor state);
• 436-2.2 (justification, recognition of the legitimacy, denial of the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine).

The SSU Office in Mykolaiv region carried out the operation under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.