News outlets reported an incident involving Oleg Tsarev, a former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, after information appeared about an attempted attack. The details emerged via a Telegram channel associated with war correspondent Yuri Kotenok, who relayed that the assault occurred near Tsarev’s residence. Wounds were described as stab injuries, but no official update on his condition had been provided at the time of the report.
Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced in absentia accusations against former Verkhovna Rada deputies from the Party of Regions, Oleg Tsarev, Dmitry Svyatash, and Igor Markov. The charges touched on concerns about actions perceived as threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The case has drawn attention to ongoing political fractures and the post-2014 landscape in Ukrainian politics.
Oleg Tsarev served as a deputy in the Verkhovna Rada from 2002 until 2014. Notably, after the 2014 events, he became the first and only speaker of the so‑called Novorossiya parliament, a development that has continued to shape discussions about regional affiliations and loyalties in the broader conflict. In February 2022, U.S. intelligence sources reportedly identified Tsarev as a key figure associated with Russia’s preferred leadership arrangement in Ukraine. These assertions published by multiple outlets placed him among figures labeled as influential in any potential “puppet government” scenario envisioned by Moscow. In May 2022, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv issued a verdict in absentia, sentencing Tsarev to 12 years in prison for actions related to encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and cooperation.
Previously, Tsarev had remarked on the trajectory of the Ukraine conflict, suggesting the possibility that the dispute might reach a resolution within the autumn season. Observers have noted that such statements can be read as part of a broader pattern of rhetoric surrounding the conflict and its potential outcomes, underscoring the volatility of the political environment in the region.