In 2019, Oleksiy Kovalyov will enter the Ukrainian parliament for President Zelenskyi's party. But with the Russian invasion, the politician openly sides with Moscow. For this he receives a post from Russia in the occupied territories. Now the Kiev authorities are investigating Kovalyov for high treason.
In Ukraine, MP Oleksiy Kovalyov is wanted for high treason. The investigations revealed that the 33-year-old had been given the post of deputy chief of the occupation administration in the Russian-occupied Cherson region in July, the public prosecutor's office said in the Telegram news service. He faces a life sentence if convicted.
Kovalyov only survived an attack apparently organized by the Ukrainian secret service in June. The head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said on television two weeks ago that Kovalev's car had been blown up. The politician was later shown up in a hospital bed with his arm bandaged. In a video, he emphasized that he was not intimidated and would continue to work in his constituency in the Kherson region until his mandate expires in 2023.
The appointment of Kovalyov as deputy chief was announced on Monday by the Russian occupation administration. Kovalyov was elected to the Supreme Rada in 2019 via a direct mandate in the Kherson region for the presidential party Servants of the People. At the end of April he was expelled from the party and faction on suspicion of cooperation with Russia.
Kovalyov returned to his hometown of Hola Prystan in April. After invading at the end of February, Russia had conquered almost the entire Cherson region. Recently, there have been frequent attacks on Ukrainians who are cooperating with the occupying forces in the area.
