Vita Stryzhko, the chief specialist of the information department (typist) of the Shevchenkove village council, has been found guilty of collaboration, Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center reported.

On April 14, the Kyiv District Court of Kharkiv sentenced the woman to 9 years in prison. In addition, she was banned from holding positions in Ukraine’s government and law enforcement agencies for 14 years with confiscation of all property.

Last summer, the woman was suspected of collaborating with the Russians in absentia: in May 2022, she headed the information department of the occupation administration at Shevchenkove. In particular, her responsibilities included:

  • Document management,
  • Accepting documents to receive payments from the Russian Federation;
  • Collecting information about the activities of the occupation authorities’ structural departments and drawing up a weekly action plan.

The suspect pleaded not guilty to choosing a preventive measure at the court hearing. She said she was trying to “help people.” However, at least four witnesses confirmed that she held a position in the self-proclaimed pro-Kremlin authorities.

Meeting of collaborators of Shevcheknove, including Andriy Stryzhko, with the self-proclaimed pro-Kremlin head of Kharkiv region Vitaliy Ganchev / Materials of the KhAC, anticor-kharkiv.org

Vita Stryzhko, a native of Groza village at Shevchenkove community, is the wife of the self-proclaimed mayor of Shevchenkove in the Kupiansk district, Andriy Stryzhko. She is accused of treason (part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

While serving as the mayor of Shevchenkove village, Andriy Stryzhko dismantled a monument to anti-terrorist operation veterans and removed the Ukrainian coat of arms from the local administration. The man also met with the head of the self-proclaimed pro-Kremlin Kharkiv Military Civil Administration, Vitaliy Ganchev.

A native of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Andriy Stryzhko has already faced three suspicions in absentia. The man is currently hiding in Russia. His wife was sentenced, and his 25-year-old son, Mykhailo Stryzhko, was accused of collaboration in December 2022. In particular, he placed billboards with Kremlin propaganda.

Mykhailo is now waiting for the judgment. The court hearing is scheduled for April 25 at 10:30 a.m. in the Kyiv District Court of Kharkiv.

See also

  • Head of court in Balakliia to face life imprisonment for collaboration. The pre-trial investigation established that in April 2022, the accused left Balakliia for the occupied Kupiansk. Then he agreed to become the “acting deputy head of the department – head of the legal support department” in the occupied and Kremlin-controlled Kharkiv Regional Military Administration.
  • Former occupation ‘Administration of Kharkiv district’ head arrested in absentia. He headed the occupying so-called “administration of the Kharkiv district”.