Russian occupation official exposed in Kyiv Independent documentary charged with war crimes
According to the SBU, Sharlai heads the department responsible for religious organizations within Russia's occupation administration in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. He also served as Russian President Vladimir Putin's trusted representative in occupied Melitopol during Russia's 2024 presidential election.
A Ukrainian security service (SBU) report claims Russian occupation official Artem Sharlai is suspected of war crimes for his alleged role in persecuting religious communities in occupied Melitopol. Sharlai, who heads a department overseeing religious organizations in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, was previously investigated by the Kyiv Independent for his involvement in religious repression.
The Kyiv Independent's documentary "No God But Theirs," released in May 2025, documented the systematic persecution of Christian communities, including the closure of churches, confiscation of religious property, and detention of clergy. Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest Oleksandr Bohomaz identified Sharlai as one of the officials directly involved in searches of religious properties and the suppression of religious groups.
Sharlai's department allegedly compiled lists of pro-Ukrainian parishioners for Russia's Federal Security Service, which were used to carry out raids resulting in torture and detentions. Sharlai remains under investigation by Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
