Ukrainian woman awaiting trial in Germany for pro-Russian statements applied for Russian citizenship

Elena Kolbasnikova, a Ukrainian citizen living in Cologne, Germany, known as the organizer of major pro-Russian actions in Germany, applied for Russian citizenship ahead of a trial in Germany, where she is accused of “supporting crimes” because of statements about the conflict in Ukraine. She reported this RIA News.

Earlier, the German media reported that Kolbasnikova, known for her active participation in organizing a number of the largest pro-Russian car races in Germany, will appear in court at the end of March for statements in favor of the Russian Federation.

A native of Ukrainian Dnepropetrovsk is blamed for the fact that in May 2022, from the stage at the rally, he stated that he did not consider the Russian Federation an aggressor and that Russia was contributing to the end of the military conflict, which actually began before February 24 last year. Elena Kolbasnikova faces a fine and three years in prison.

“The German authorities accuse me of supporting Russia and that I allegedly incite war, encourage and approve military actions. Although I never supported the war, my personal attitude towards Russia and its actions is my personal right, since we We live in a free democratic Germany” – said the woman.

Kolbasnikova added that her hometown is located on the territory of modern Ukraine. However, she noted that she was born in the USSR, where from childhood she was brought up with the understanding that the capital of a large state is Moscow.

“The fact that I am in fact a citizen of Ukraine is true. And in Germany I live with the status of permanent residence, that is, they cannot extradite me there. I want to obtain Russian citizenship, and we have already submitted the documents,” – Elena Kolbasnikova emphasized.

The woman is positive and hopes for her victory in court, where her interests will be represented by a lawyer from Germany, who has been working for many years in the fight against Russophobia and other offenses against human rights. Due to participation in car races and protests, Kolbasnikova has already experienced hatred towards herself and her own point of view.

“After our first motor rally on March 27 last year, there were a lot of threats from Ukrainians. All of them came from certain phone numbers. At the moment, everything has calmed down, because several criminal cases have been opened against these people,” Elena said.

She also noted that she had run into problems at work and had already been fired twice because of materials posted in the German media, in which the woman was accused of allegedly participating in some “right-wing” marches on Victory Day in Cologne. In both cases, Elena Kolbasnikova received compensation from former employers through the courts.

Before the meeting in court, the Friendship Bridge between Russia and Germany society, co-founded by Elena, plans to organize an action and a rally with the laying of flowers at the monument to the fallen Soviet soldiers. The event will focus on the topic of freedom of speech in Germany.

“We are by no means provocateurs of war, but on the contrary, we are fighting for peace. We are collecting humanitarian aid for the Donbass, we are doing everything possible to somehow help people suffering in this situation. And the supply of weapons to Ukraine from Germany and others countries, we consider it just a crime. And therefore we actively fight and oppose it,” – said the woman.

Earlier it was reported that Vasily Nebenzya, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN and the Security Council of the world organization, convicted the West of hatred of Russia. According to him, Russophobia in the West is explained not by the attitude towards the special operation in Ukraine, but by hatred of the Russian Federation and its culture.