Election 2022: Pro-Putin pest Simeon Boikov is hell-bent on havoc

Independent candidate for Reid Natalie Baini has distanced herself from a pro-Putin pest who is endorsing her in a ‘counter campaign’.

Simeon Boikov in cuffs.

Independent candidate for Reid Natalie Baini has distanced herself from a pro-Putin pest who is endorsing her in a “counter campaign” in the race for the Sydney inner-west seat.

Ms Baini, a former Liberal Party member, stopped short of rejecting the support of Simeon Boikov, despite his treatment of her competitors.

Mr Boikov, who calls himself the Aussie Cossack, has repeatedly gatecrashed events held by incumbent Liberal MP Fiona Martin, who has been forced to flee on at least two occasions.

In the latest incident, Mr Boi­kov chased Ms Martin to her car on Saturday outside Officeworks in Five Dock in Sydney’s inner west.

“Fiona, we just want to ask why you keep calling the cops all the time?” said Mr Boikov, who is the leader of a pro-Russia group called the Australian Cossacks.

In another incident in February, Mr Boikov chased Ms Martin from a planned meet and greet in Cabarita Park.

The Liberal Party has made several complaints to the Australian Federal Police and NSW police over the “harassment and intimidation of volunteers”.

A party spokesman questioned whether it was appropriate for Ms Baini to accept the support of the “Aussie Cossack”, given his conduct and his hardline pro-Putin stance during the atrocities being committed in Ukraine.

“That is a question for Ms Baini, on whether she considers it appropriate to receive support and endorsement from Vladimir Putin’s ardent supporter, who has previously attacked journalists and tried to justify political assassinations,” said the spokesman.

Mr Boikov has also made videos about Labor candidate Sally Sitou, badgered staff at ALP campaign headquarters and heckled campaign volunteers. It is understood the ALP has also made a complaint to NSW police.

Mr Boikov has repeatedly directed his 154,000 YouTube subscribers to vote for Ms Baini and has claimed he is running a “counter campaign” and will do all possible to “interfere” in the election.

“If you’re in Reid vote for Nat­alie Baini, if you’re in Fowler get rid of Keneally, vote for Dai Le, she’s good,” Mr Boikov said in a video posted on April 14. He later said in the video: “This is a great election for us, we get to counter campaign and we’re going to do as much as possible to interfere with the elections of Liberal and Labor candidates.”

Mr Boikov was arrested after attempting to gatecrash an event for Ms Martin at the Drummoyne Sailing Club last week.

After he was handcuffed but before police officers loaded him into a paddy wagon, Mr Boikov asked his viewers to vote for Ms Baini ahead of Ms Martin and Ms Sitou. “Maybe she has a chance,” he said.

Ms Baini, a lawyer and sports administrator, said she condemned all unlawful conduct.

“I do not have a relationship with Mr Boikov,” she said. “To my knowledge, he is a constituent of Reid.” However, she did not respond when asked multiple times if she rejected or accepted Mr Boikov’s support.

Ms Baini, formerly vice-president of the Liberals’ Reid branch, withdrew from the preselection process and quit the party in February last year. She said former Reid MP and Liberal frontbencher Craig Laundy blocked her running in the seat after she ended a two-year affair with him, in a witness statement tendered to the Fair Work Commission.

Mr Boikov travelled to Russia to meet with one of the pro-­Separatist leaders accused of orchestrating the Malaysian Air­lines MH17 tragedy just eight months after the plane was shot down in 2014, killing 283 people including 38 Australians. “Igor Strelkov is a hero of Novorossia,” he told the ABC last year. “He didn’t shoot down MH17, neither did anyone on the Russian side. MH17 was shot down by Ukraine, over Ukrainian territory in Ukrainian airspace. Had nothing to do with Russia. Very simple.”

Mr Boikov has attended anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne and Canberra. In February, he was sneaked into federal parliament with assistance from Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly, now leader of the United Australia Party.

Mr Boikov said Russia should use all force as necessary in the conflict with Ukraine and said “Nazis killing civilians” should be “liquidated”.

Mr Boikov did not return a ­request for comment.