Russian-appointed Kherson region leader wants to hand part of region to Belarus

According to the Center, Saldo said he was ready to transfer part of the Azov–Black Sea coastline to Belarus, supposedly for the construction of sanatoriums and resorts. He claimed it was an "ideal place for resort development," and that the sides had already discussed the transfer of sections of the coastline.

"In reality, this is a direct declaration of intent to dispose of Ukrainian land and involve a third state in its control," the Center stated.

According to its sources in the occupied areas of the Kherson region, talks with the regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko have been ongoing since the summer of 2024. The meetings were held behind closed doors and focused on specific land plots between Henichesk and the Arabat Spit.

"In a narrow circle, Saldo describes this as 'exchanging political loyalty with Minsk,' allowing Moscow to legitimize the presence of Belarusian structures. Analysts at the Center stress that the resort zones narrative is merely a cover: in reality, these areas would be used as dual-use facilities — logistics hubs, restricted sites, and staging grounds for Russian and Belarusian security forces," the report said.

This approach allows the Russian regime to control the territory through an allied regime while circumventing international law. Belarus under Lukashenko would establish a de facto military and political presence in the occupied parts of the Kherson region.

"The occupiers view the Kherson region as a resource zone, where resort rhetoric is merely a facade for strengthening the military and political presence of allied forces. This is a direct example of systemic use of occupied territories to advance the strategic interests of Russia and its partners while completely ignoring Ukraine's sovereignty," the Center noted.

On September 15, Lukashenko met in Minsk with Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-appointed leader of the occupied part of the Kherson region. It was another blatant demonstration of disregard for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Saldo is a collaborator and traitor. He began cooperating with Russian forces after they seized control of the Kherson region in 2022. Russia appointed him as the region's governor.

In 2023, a court sentenced Saldo in absentia to 15 years in prison on charges of treason. That same year, the collaborator's assets and those of his relatives were confiscated and transferred to the state.