Brother of liquidated collaborating ex-MP Kovalyov charged by Ukraine's Security Service
Ulyana Krychkowska
Editor at LIGA.net
The Security Service of Ukraine pressed charges against the brother of former MP-turned-collaborator Oleksiy Kovalyov, who provided fuel Russian tanks and exported grain from occupied Kherson Oblast to Russia.
According to the press service, the SBU collected evidence of high treason against Yuriy Kovalyov, a member of the Kherson Oblast Council. Currently, he is a member of the occupation "State Duma of Kherson Oblast" from Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and continues to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.
The figure is the older brother of the traitorous ex-MP Oleksiy Kovalyov, who after the occupation of Kherson publicly supported the region's "accession" to Russia and became Gauleiter Volodymyr Saldo's "deputy" on agriculture issues, the message says.
According to the SBU, Yuriy Kovalyov, using the "status" of his brother, "reoriented" more than 20 controlled companies in the region to Russian needs. To do this, he carried out their "re-registration" under Russian legislation.
Among them is a local agricultural holding, which during 2023 transported almost 35,000 tons of Ukrainian grain to the Russian Federation for a total amount of 140 million hryvnias ($3.86 million).
The press service added that on his instructions, gas stations under his control carried out "extraordinary" provision of fuel for Russian military equipment, including enemy tanks and armored vehicles.
In addition, the criminal's companies actively supplied "pre-rations" for the Russian troops who are at Russian checkpoints in the occupied part of the region, the post reads.
The SBU noted that Yuriy Kovalyov's companies regularly finance the Russian budget in the form of "taxes" and "fees".
In August 2022 alone, one of his agricultural companies transferred almost 3 million Russian rubles ($33,680) to the occupation authorities.
On the basis of the collected evidence, Yuriy Kovalyov was charged under the articles of treason and collaborative activity.
Since he is in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, comprehensive measures are being taken to bring him to justice.
On April 28, 2022, the head of the Servant of the People party, Olena Shuliak, reported that Oleksiy Kovalyov's colleagues suspect him of treason. On the same day, the staff of Channel 4 asked not to identify them with the owner of this outlet. Journalists reported that since the first days of the full-scale war he had not been in touch and was under occupation.
On June 22, 2022, the head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov confirmed that the car of Servant of the People MP Oleksiy Kovalyov was blown up in Kherson Oblast.