Ukraine allegedly executes collaborator linked to POW torment in occupied Berdiansk, according to an intelligence report.
In a bold move, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) offed Mykhailo Hrytsai, a senior pro-Russian collaborator, in the city of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to a HUR source. This assassination is part of a series of targeted operations against collaborators and enemies trying to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.
Hrytsai, the Russian-appointed deputy mayor responsible for infrastructure, housing, utilities, and the energy sector, was no stranger to unsavory activities. He was directly involved in orchestrating repressions against the local Ukrainian population and setting up torture chambers for prisoners of war.
The collaborator met his end in the city using a stealthy PM pistol. Hrytsai's involvement in the unlawful seizure of municipal and state property in Berdiansk was also revealed.
"There's a long list of collaborators and accomplices that need to feel our wrath in the occupied territories," the HUR source said. "We'll track them down and end their criminal activities – in silence or loud and clear, but always effectively."
Born in Poltava Oblast, Hrytsai had a past in Ukrainian politics. He worked as an assistant to a member of parliament and headed the Berdiansk branch of the Socialist Ukraine party. However, he switched sides and joined the Russian occupation forces.
Berdiansk, a port city on the Azov Sea, has been under Russian control since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. It serves as a crucial logistics hub for Russian forces, transporting looted Ukrainian grain and other resources.
Aside from Hrytsai, another target, Yevgeny Bogdanov, the deputy head of the Russian-installed administration, was killed in a targeted strike in Berdiansk on Feb. 20.
This targeted operation by Ukraine's military intelligence in occupied territories is part of a larger strategy aimed at resisting Russian advances, defending Ukrainian sovereignty, and disrupting Russian logistics and command structures. Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (MDI) has intensified its activities since the full-scale Russian invasion began, prioritizing the defense of vital locations like the Hostomel airfield near Kyiv and engaging against Russian forces occupying large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine. The MDI's operations are designed to degrade Russian offensive capabilities, protect key locations like Kyiv, and disrupt enemy narratives and misinformation. The specific identities of individuals targeted have not been disclosed in open-source reporting.
"This targeted operation by Ukraine's military intelligence in the occupied territories, as demonstrated by the assassination of Mykhailo Hrytsai and the killing of Yevgeny Bogdanov, is a clear indication of the politically charged environment in war-and-conflicts zones. Amidst the general-news coverage of the ongoing war, crime-and-justice stories involving collaborators and their criminal activities are gaining attention."
"While Hrytsai's political involvement in Ukraine has been documented, his activities since joining the Russian occupation forces, including the repressions against the local population and the unlawful seizure of properties, highlight the significance of the ongoing conflict and the MDI's efforts to disrupt Russian logistics and command structures."
