The head of a district court in Cherkasy region justified Russia's armed aggression

The head of Zvenyhorodske District Court in Cherkasy Oblast of Ukraine has been accused by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) of justifying the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine. The SSU, in collaboration with the State Bureau of Investigations, has gathered evidence against this judge, who currently serves as the head of the district court. The woman has denied the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has justified the war crimes committed by Russians.

SSU agents have recordings of her conversations where she openly expresses her pro-Russian position and repeatedly echoes the Kremlin's narratives regarding the war in Ukraine. Law enforcement agencies have documented that the district court head supported the annexation of Crimea and Melitopol, as well as praised the implementation of "Russian legislation."

Furthermore, she excused war crimes committed by Russia against civilians. For example, she referred to the Russian missile strike on a multi-story building in Dnipro in January 2023 as "collateral damage" during the war.

Previously, this woman served as a judge in Yakymivske District Court in Zaporizhia Oblast. Due to the temporary occupation of that territory in June 2022, she was transferred to Cherkasy Oblast, where she was initially appointed as a judge and later elected as the head of the district court.

The accused had planned to retire and move to Crimea, assuming she would receive a lifetime pension from the Ukrainian budget. During searches at her residence, foreign currency, including Russian rubles, mobile phones, and computer equipment, were found and confiscated.

She has been served a suspicion notice under Article 436-2, Part 3 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which pertains to justifying, recognizing as legitimate, or denying the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine and glorifying its participants, committed by an official. She faces up to eight years of imprisonment with property confiscation.