Kirill Stremousov

Kirill Sergeyevich Stremousov (Russian: Кирилл Сергеевич Стремоусов, Ukrainian: Кирило Сергійович Стремоусов; 26 December 1976 – 9 November 2022) was a Russian and Ukrainian politician and blogger serving as the deputy head of the of the collaborationist Kherson military–civilian administration in Russian-occupied Ukraine from 26 April 2022 until his death on 9 November 2022; hours before Russia's retreat from Kherson. He was wanted by the Ukrainian security service (SBU) for treason.

Biography

Stremousov was born on 26 December 1976 in Holmivskyi, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. He graduated from the Ternopil Academy of National Economy. He owned a fish feed company for five years. Stremousov later became the head of the Henichesk Fish Inspectorate. In 2007, he was given a leading position in Kyiv's Fisheries Committee. Shortly after, he resigned and left for Kherson.

Following his arrival in Kherson, Stremousov founded an NGO "Tavria News" and went on a trip to the Americas. After returning from America, he conducted seminars on a mystical approach to a healthy lifestyle and became a follower of the post-Soviet neo-Pagan and neo-Stalinist conspiracy theory Conception of Social Security (Russian: Концепция общественной безопасности). In 2013, Stremousov was one of the organizers of the "Russian runs", which were to show Kherson the "strength of the Russian spirit". In December 2013, he founded the organization "For the President", which provided explicit support to President Viktor Yanukovych.

In January 2016, he co-founded the Ukrainian Center for Environmental Self-Defense. In February 2017, he beat a police officer during a fight in the city council. On 21 May 2018, Stremousov shot a man with a traumatic pistol in the Henichesk district. On 6 April he was involved in the attack on the SBU convoy.

On 8 October 2018, he was named the head of the Kherson branch of the Socialist Party of Ukraine.

On 18 January 2019, he was part of a group that fired at the Novy Den newspaper in Kherson. For this he was suspected of hooliganism.

In January 2019, he was expelled from the Socialist Party of Ukraine. In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election he was a candidate for the People's Deputy of Ukraine as a self-nominated candidate in the 82nd contituency, receiving 1.74% of the vote.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stremousov started promoting anti-vaccination beliefs and conspiracy theories. In his videos he accused the authorities of spreading COVID-19, spoke about "US biolabs in Ukraine", and urged residents not to wear masks and not to adhere to restrictions.

On 18 June 2020, he attacked journalist Dmytro Bagnenko and was involved in a criminal case under the article on obstruction of the journalist's work. In August 2020, the SBU conducted searches of Stremousov's properties as part of criminal proceedings to expose the Russian FSB.

In the 2020 local elections he unsuccessfully ran for the post of mayor of Kherson as a self-nominated candidate.

Stremousov became a member of the pro-Russian Derzhava party in 2021.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the occupation of Kherson Oblast, Stremousov took a pro-Russian position. On 16 March 2022, Stremousov and other local pro-Russian activists held a meeting of the collaborationist Salvation Committee for Peace and Order in the building of the Kherson Regional Administration. On 17 March 2022, the Ukrainian government accused Stremousov of treason for his role in this meeting and opened criminal proceedings against him.

On 26 April 2022, Stremousov was appointed by the Kremlin the deputy president (governor) of the Kherson Military-Civilian Administration. In an indication of an intended split from Ukraine, on 28 Аpril Stremousov announced that from May the region would switch its currency to the Russian ruble. Additionally, citing unnamed reports that alleged discrimination against Russian speakers, Stremousov said that "reintegrating the Kherson region back into a Nazi Ukraine is out of the question". On 11 May 2022, Kirill Stremousov announced his readiness to turn to President Vladimir Putin with a request for Kherson Oblast to join the Russian Federation, noting that there would be no creation of the "Kherson People's Republic" or referendums regarding this matter.  After this announcement, leaflets started appearing around Kherson offering a ₴500,000 reward for Stremousov's assassination.

On 30 May, he spoke about exporting grain from Kherson to Russia: “We have space to store (the new crop) although we have a lot of grain here. People are now partially taking it out, having agreed with those who buy it from the Russian side." Stremousov also worked on selling sunflower seeds.

On 3 June 2022, Stremousov was sanctioned by the European Union for providing support and promoting policies that undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

Analysis of a video made by Stremousov during the Ukrainian counter-attack on Kherson started on 29 August 2022 shows landmarks in the background that identify the location as the Marriott Hotel at 38 Revolyutsii Avenue, Voronezh, a city in southwestern Russia 550 miles (890 km) from Kherson. This is interpreted as being due to his having fled. When asked about his location, Stremousov said he was "travelling around Russian cities, meeting different people for work".

Amid the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kherson region, on 6 October Stremousov expressed dissatisfaction with "incompetent commanders" and blamed Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu for having "allowed this situation to happen", adding that many suggest the minister shoot himself.

Stremousov died in a car crash near Henichesk, Russia's de facto headquarters in the region, on 9 November 2022, at the age of 45.  His death came hours prior to Russia's official retreat from Kherson city.

Controversies

In 2017, Stremousov faced backlash after he filmed himself spinning his four months old daughter around his head by her legs. While doing this, he said that he could hear “her bones are popping.” The newspaper The Financial Express called Stremousov "heartless" and emphasized that he ignored the screams of the baby.