Ukraine presses charges against two Russian governors for financing war

That’s according to the agency’s department in Zhytomyr region, Ukrinform reports.

“The Security Service office in Zhytomyr region has collected evidence against two high-ranking Russian officials involved in sustaining the combat capability of military units of the Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine. These are the governor and chief of the United Russia part in Russia’s Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev and governor of the Transbaikal region Alexander Osipov. Over to their support for military aggression against our state, both Russian officials have been under international sanctions,” the report says.

According to the agency, Kobzev regularly supplies Russian troops with vehicles equipped for combat operations, specialized equipment, ammunition and uniform, generators, food kits, etc. He personally visited Donetsk region temporarily occupied by the enemy, publishing reports in government-controlled media.

Law enforcement have also documented Osipov’s repeated visits to the occupied territories of Ukraine throughout 2023-2024. He donated several thousand attack drones, satellite communication systems, weapons with optical and thermal sights, cars, motorcycles, etc. to the Russian troops.

The SBU emphasizes that in this way, both high-ranking officials facilitated the implementation of the Kremlin's plan to unlawfully seize Ukrainian territory.

Both suspects were charged in absentia with financing actions aimed at altering Ukraine’s borders in violation of Constitution, and repeated attempts to topple the constitutional order.

As Ukrinform reported in February, charges were pressed in Ukraine against the governor of Russia’s Orenburg region, who is believed to have been financing the Russian army in the war against Ukraine.

Photo: SBU