Court sets bail for controversial intelligence officer Chervinsky
In custody since April 2023, former Ukrainian intelligence officer Roman Chervinsky will be released on a UAH 9 million ($219,000) bail, Chervinsky's lawyer, Viktor Vasylyuk, announced on July 15.
“The heroic intelligence officer Roman Chervinsky will be released on bail,” Vasylyuk wrote in a Facebook post.
“Finally, Roman can hug his children, mother, wife, and sister. Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to this intermediate victory. But the struggle continues.”
Another lawyer representing Chervinsky, Kostiantyn Hloba, said that the court hearing lasted seven hours and that 27 MPs and 51 other individuals vouched for Chervinsky.
According to public broadcaster Suspilne, Chervinsky will remain in custody until the bail is paid. The decision was made by the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeals, Kirovohrad Oblast.
Former officer of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Chervinsky was indicted by the SBU security service for abuse of power on April 21, 2023. According to law enforcement officials, the colonel, along with other people, decided to arbitrarily conduct a special operation to seize a Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft, whose pilot allegedly agreed to defect to Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the "operation" took place without the consent of the state authorities and contrary to the SBU's warnings. As a result of Chervinskyi's actions, Russia received data on the location of the Ukrainian Air Force and Ukrainian aircraft and on July 23, 2022, launched a strike on the Kanatove airfield. The attack killed the unit commander and injured 17 defenders. Ukraine lost two fighter jets, and the runway and other equipment and buildings were severely damaged.
According to Chervinskyi himself, after the HUR refused to engage in the operation, it was prepared by the SBU, and he and his team were involved at the last stage to "help from a professional point of view."
In November 2023, The Washington Post alleged Chervinsky was linked to the sabotage of Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipeline in September 2022.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
