During the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

there has been military and political

collaborationism Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime, and in the words of historian Gerhard Hirschfeld, "is as old as war and the occupation of foreign territory". The term ''collaborator'' dates to t ...

between Ukrainian citizens and the Russian military. Cases involve two Ukrainian generals, a Ukrainian negotiator, and multiple Russian-installed mayors throughout Ukraine.

Legal regulation

After the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

adopted two laws on collaborationism, which were later signed by Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...

: *Bill No. 5143 introduced an addition to the Criminal Code of Ukraine to Article 111-1 “Treason”. According to the amendment, liability was introduced for attempts to organize elections or organize power in the territories occupied by Russia. *Draft Law No. 5144 provides for amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine. According to the changes, the concept of “collaborationism” is introduced, punishment is introduced for public denial of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, support for the decisions of the aggressor country, propaganda and the transfer of material resources.

Authorities

Following the invasion, in a number of settlements occupied by it, the Russian military command began to organize military-civilian administrations. Despite the fact that President Vladimir Putin stated in a speech preceding the invasion of February 24, 2022, that Russia's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories, the Russian military command began to organize military-civilian administration in a number of occupied settlements.Екс-«регіоналка», бухгалтерка та гірничий інженер: хто став новою владою на окупованих українських територіях
/ref> In Luhansk Oblast, the Russian military was supported by the mayor of Stanytsia Luhanska, Albert Zinchenko, and the mayor of

Rubizhne Rubizhne ( uk, Рубі́жне, Rubížne, ; rus, Рубе́жное, Rubéžnoye, links=1, rʊˈbʲeʐnəjə) is a city located in Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. Situated on the left bank of the Donets river near the cities of Sieviero ...

Serhiy Khortiv Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honor of Saint Sergius, or in Russia, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and ...

. The invasion was supported by a People's Deputy from the already banned pro-Russian party

Opposition Platform — For Life The Opposition Platform – For Life ( uk, Опозиційна платформа – За життя; russian: Оппозиционная платформа – За жизнь, OPZZh) was a parliamentary and now banned pro-Russian and Eurosc ...

Ilya Kiva Illia Volodymyrovych Kyvarussian: Илья́ Влади́мирович Ки́ва, translit=Ilya Vladimirovich Kiva (born 2 June 1977) is a Ukrainian politician. He worked as an official and policeman before entering politics, heading the P ...

, calling for "liberation of Ukraine from Western occupation." On March 6, 2022, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Iryna Venediktova Iryna Valentynivna Venediktova ( uk, Ірина Валентинівна Венедіктова; born 21 September 1978) is a Ukrainian politician, academic, and lawyer, previously a prosecutor general of Ukraine from March 2020 to July 2022. S ...

announced the suspicion of Kiva in treason and encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine. On March 15, 2022, Kiva was deprived of his deputy mandate, 335 deputies voted for his expulsion at a sitting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and he was wanted for treason.

Scale

As of March 26, 2022, the

State Bureau of Investigation A state bureau of investigation (SBI) is a state-level detective agency in the United States. They are plainclothes agencies which usually investigate both criminal and civil cases involving the state and/or multiple jurisdictions. They also typ ...

opened about 200 cases for collaborationism. On April 3, 2022, the

Prosecutor General of Ukraine The prosecutor general of Ukraine (also procurator general of Ukraine, uk, Генеральний прокурор України) heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General ( uk, Офіс ...

Irina Venediktova announced that 99 people were in custody on suspicion of treason and 4 people on suspicion of collaborationism.

References

{{2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine * * Pro-Russian militant groups