Kherson military administration official accused of serving Russia during occupation

The Security Service of Ukraine on June 3 arrested a Kherson regional military administration official on suspicion of collaborating with Russian occupying forces. He faces 15 years in prison.

The official allegedly joined the occupation administration's internal affairs unit. His name was not provided in the official source but Ukrainska Pravda identified him as Oleksii Vanin, based on unnamed sources.

According to the SBU, the suspect was appointed as a chief financial, accounting and criminal justice expert. He reportedly traveled to Moscow to undergo training. The official laid low during the liberation of Kherson, before rejoining the Ukrainian regional military administration.

The SBU said it found orders and instructions from Russia's interior ministry in the suspect's personal belongings.

Kherson was captured early in March 2022 and liberated in early November 2022. The region remains partly occupied by entrenched Russian forces on the eastern back of the Dnipro River.

A glance into Kherson’s underground resistance during Russian occupation

Editor’s Note: We don’t reveal the real names of the people interviewed for this story due to the sensitive nature of their activities that puts them in direct danger. In the story, names were assigned to them for storytelling purposes. KHERSON – Kherson was liberated because Ukraine forced Russia…

The Kyiv IndependentIgor Kossov