8,000 traitors? Ukrainian SBU shows no mercy

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) revealed that since the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they have undertaken investigations into nearly 8,000 cases of suspected state treason. The information was released by New Voice, as obtained from SBU sources.

The SBU informed New Voice of more than 7,000 criminal cases initiated under Article 111-1 of the criminal code. Furthermore, nearly 1,000 investigations were launched based on Article 111-2.

Both subsections of Article 111 relate to treason, which entails crimes such as espionage, deliberate actions to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty, and voluntary assistance to a foreign state in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine. The penalty for such crimes is a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 15 years.

The SBU revealed that the courts have received over 2,000 proceedings under Article 111-1, resulting in 330 collaborators being sentenced. One of the most recent sentences was a 15-year prison term for Volodymyr Saldo, who served as the head of local occupation authorities in the Kherson region.

Additionally, Oleksandr Dubinsky, a deputy of Ukraine's Supreme Council from the Servant of the People party, has been charged with cooperation with foreign intelligence and treason.

The Lviv District Court sentenced Illia Kyva, a former pro-Russian deputy of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, in absentia to 14 years of imprisonment for treason.

As outlined in Article 111-2 of the criminal code, a Ukrainian citizen can avoid criminal liability for cooperation with a foreign state if they voluntarily report their actions to Ukrainian authorities. The SBU told New Voice that it has conducted investigations on more than 300 individuals who met this condition under Article 111-2, and almost 200 of them were turned over to the courts.