The ex-prime minister of Yanukovych-era Mykola Azarov and two of his assistants — one of whom is an official of the capital district state administration (DSA) — were declared of a number of suspicions.
This is reported by the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office.
They are accused of calling for the overthrow of the government (Part 2 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code), encroachment on territorial integrity (Part 2 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code) and justifying Russiaʼs aggression (Part 2 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code). The prosecutorʼs office also reminds that Azarov is already charged with treason for agreeing to the "Kharkiv Agreements".
According to the investigation, Azarov created a Telegram channel in Russia, through which he broadcasts Russian propaganda and anti-Ukrainian materials, and it is administered by two assistants — the current head of the organizational department in the capital district state administration and a former employee of the same DSA, who has already left for Russia.
According to the prosecutorʼs office, the assistants not only administered the channel, but also managed Azarovʼs account on the banned "VKontakte" social network, as well as organized his interviews and comments to the Russian mass media.
Current DSA officials were declared of the suspicion in Kyiv. To the former prime minister and another accomplice — in absentia. Regarding the first, the question of choosing a preventive measure is being decided.
- As early as 2021, Azarov was arrested in absentia by the court in the case of the "Kharkiv Agreements", when the government and parliament agreed, and then Viktor Yanukovych in 2010 signed an agreement with the Russian president to extend the Black Sea Fleetʼs stay in Sevastopol for 25 years. Ukraine agreed to this in exchange for a reduction in the price of Russian gas, which actually did not happen.