FSB agent who led Russian Interior Ministry during occupation of Kherson sentenced to life in absentia

According to the materials of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a Russian special agent who committed war crimes during the temporary occupation of Kherson and coordinated the creation of the "Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs" in the regional center of the occupation has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia.

"This is an employee of the 9th Directorate of the Operational Information Department of the 5th FSB Service – Sergey Sinitsyn with the call sign 'Sabir," the SBU said in the Telegram channel on Thursday.

SBU investigators established that in March 2022, the official, being part of the "temporary operational group No. 8" arrived in Kherson to organize mass repressions against participants in the resistance movement.

"To do this, Sinitsyn coordinated the occupation 'main department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs' created in the regional center. According to the case materials, the Russian special service officer personally approved 'personnel appointments' to the pseudo-institution and led the raids of armed racists on the homes of local residents. During such raids, people were kidnapped from their homes and taken to torture chambers set up in the premises of the local 'Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs," the Ukrainian special service said in a statement.

It is documented that behind closed doors, the victims were beaten, tortured with electric shocks, simulated executions and threatened with reprisals against their relatives. In addition, "Sabir" was additionally engaged in the formation of its own agent networks, into which it tried to recruit former officials and law enforcement officers.

Based on the evidence collected by the investigators of the Security Service, the court found Serhiy Sinitsyn guilty under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 3, Article 110 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine); Part 1 of Art. 438 (war crimes committed by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy).

Comprehensive measures are underway to bring the convicted person to justice for crimes against Ukrainians.

The investigation was conducted by SBU officers in Kherson region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor's office.