SBU detains ex-lawmaker of pro-Russian party while attempting to flee Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine reported on 10 April that it detained a former lawmaker from the banned pro-Russian Party of Regions, who financially supported Russian aggression while trying to leave the country.

The Security Service of Ukraine did not disclose the name of the detainee, but according to Ukrainska Pravda, referring to its sources, it is Vladyslav Lukyanov. Lukyanov was a deputy of the Donetsk Regional Council. In November 2020, Lukyanov was elected to the Bakhmut City Council in Donetsk Oblast. He also supported the referendum on the separation of Donbas from Ukraine.

“The offender was detained near the border crossing point in the Odesa Oblast. The 60-year-old suspect tried to leave for a neighboring country as a person of non-conscription age,” the statement said.

The SBU reported that after the Russian occupation of the part of Donetsk Oblast, Lukyanov collaborated with the Russian occupiers and “re-registered” his internet provider company under Russian law.

He was providing the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) full access to the available equipment, allowing the Russian special service to control the internet activity of the local population. According to the SBU, he moved to the territory controlled by Ukraine and remotely managed the company.

SBU reported that Lukyanov paid funds to the Russian budget through taxes and fees.

The offender also publicly justified the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine, which he repeatedly discussed in the chats of pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.

During the detention, SBU found and seized a mobile phone and handwritten notes with evidence of Lukyanov’s criminal actions.

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