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Berdiansk collaborator shot dead after aiding Russian occupiers, HUR says

Par :Yuri Zoria

berdiansk collaborator shot dead after aiding russian occupiers hur says mykhailo hrytsai climinated occupied photos focusua/hur quisling-collaborator-hrytsai-socialist-ukraine-russia-berdiansk man accused forces organizing torture chambers has been killed ukrainian military intelligence agency

A man accused of aiding Russian forces in occupied Berdiansk and organizing torture chambers has been killed, according to Ukrainian military intelligence agency, which just reported his death without confirming its involvement.

On 18 June 2025, in Russian-occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a pro-Russian collaborator and suspected war criminal, Mykhailo Pavlovych Hrytsai, was reportedly shot dead, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) stated.

The HUR has been actively targeting collaborators and quisling officials in Russian-occupied areas, and occasionally reports the deaths of Russian military officers on the Russian soil. The intelligence organization never explicitly confirms involvement in assassination operations but consistently ends such reports with the statement, “there will be fair retribution for every war crime.” Another Ukrainian agency speculated to be involved in some high-profile assassinations in Russia is the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

From politician to collaborator

Hrytsai, originally from Poltava Oblast, previously led the local branch of the “Socialist Ukraine” party. Following the Russian occupation of Berdiansk in 2022, he began cooperating with Russian forces and assumed roles in the so-called occupation administration. He held the titles of “acting city mayor” and “deputy for infrastructure, utilities, and the fuel and energy sector.”

Ukrainian intelligence says Hrytsai exploited state property for the benefit of the Russian occupiers while holding these posts.

Accused of war crimes 

According to HUR, Hrytsai was directly involved in war crimes. These included persecuting the local population, identifying and reporting pro-Ukrainian residents to Russian authorities, and participating in the organization of torture chambers within Berdiansk.

THe Ukrainian law enforcement previously charged him in absentia on 1 April 2022 under Article 111, Part 2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code for state treason.

Though the HUR statement did not directly claim responsibility for Hrytsai’s killing, it reaffirmed that “for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people, there will be fair retribution.”

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