Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
In Pryluky, blogger Oleksandr Lesyk, who criticized Mayor Olha Popenko and reported on the criminal case involving her son, who is accused of drug trafficking, was beaten.
Pryluky city council deputy Yevheniia Averyanova reported on her Facebook page that Oleksandr Lesyk was hospitalized as a result of the beating.
Oleksandr Lesyk is known for consistently and harshly criticizing local authorities, including Mayor Olha Popenko. For more than a year his content has been devoted to local politics: sharp criticism of the mayor, council members, and communal enterprises, among other topics.
It is also worth adding that Mayor Olha Popenko, since her election, has been in the orbit of People’s Deputy of Ukraine Valerii Dubil (All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland”) who has an extremely ambiguous reputation. A significant portion of the materials published by Oleksandr Lesyk were devoted to the connections between Olha Popenko and Valerii Dubil.
Another scandal that was in the blogger’s spotlight is the criminal case concerning Mayor Olha Popenko’s son, Yaroslav Popenko, who has been charged with drug trafficking.
The case was repeatedly attempted to be covered up, but due to public outcry Yaroslav Popenko still ended up in the dock. However, 28 August, on the very day Oleksandr Lesyk was beaten, the Pryluky City District Court suspended proceedings in the case against Yaroslav Popenko because he is serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Although at court Yaroslav Popenko’s lawyer stated that his client “is participating in combat operations,” it is known that soldier Popenko is serving in the Lviv region and was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine after a criminal case was opened against him for selling drugs on the premises of the children’s sports school where he worked.
Whether the exposures of the mayor’s son, the systematic criticism of Olha Popenko’s alleged involvement in corrupt actions, and the beating of Oleksandr Lesyk are connected will be determined by the investigation. Currently the blogger remains hospitalized in serious condition.
According to Yevheniia Averyanova, who also actively covers corruption scandals around the Pryluky mayor, she knows exactly who beat Oleksandr Lesyk.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Після критики мера Ольги Попенко та її сина Ярослава, якого називають наркоторговцем, у Прилуках жорстоко побили блогера Олександра Лесика". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Rozsliduvach.