The local criminal authority, nicknamed Yefim, is said to have been closely cooperating with the Russian occupiers and had threatened pro-Ukrainian residents in the region, which has been under Moscow’s control since early March.
Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, also reported in June a separate car explosion in Kherson.
According to the paper, the car belonged to a local collaborator, Dmytro Savluchenko, who was head of the pro-Russian administration family, youth, and sports department.
He was believed to be a member of the party led by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has been accused of state treason and openly engaged in anti-Ukrainian activities in Kherson for many years.
Reports from Ukrainian and Russian media said Savluchenko died when the car exploded.
On the same day, a car belonging to people’s deputy Oleksii Kovalov – who had been collaborating with Russian forces – was also blown up in Kherson.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, said: “I can confirm that a certain action was taken. The car was definitely blown up. What condition this collaborator and traitor is in is still to be determined.”
Ukrainian forces have made some progress in recapturing areas of the Kherson region.
Earlier this month, Dmytro Butriy, acting head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said 44 villages had been liberated by Ukraine’s forces since Russia took over in March.
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Ukrainians have stepped up attacks on Kherson, an important port on the Black Sea, in an attempt to isolate the city.
A key Russian-held bridge into the occupied southern city was hit by a barrage of rockets from Ukraine’s forces last week.
Footage and witness accounts pointed to as many as 18 blasts on the Antonivskiy Bridge over the Dnieper River.
The river is one of the main Russian resupply routes in Kherson.
Ukraine’s military shared a short clip on Telegram showing the detonations on the bridge just after 1am on Wednesday.
The caption read: “The moment of the flight over the Antonivskiy Bridge”.
Nataliya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military’s southern command, told Ukrainian media that “surgical strikes” were carried out on the bridge.
She said: “We are not destroying the infrastructure, we are destroying the enemy’s plans”.