The Security Service of Ukraine has detained six pro-Russian internet agitators operating across various regions of the country.
These individuals justified Russia's aggression and the war crimes committed against Ukraine.
In Kyiv, a former propagandist from a pro-Kremlin newspaper was arrested after the closure of the publication, later starting a sports column on a popular Ukrainian website.
While working at the editorial office, he also posted messages on Telegram channels urging bombings of Ukrainian cities and the capture of Kyiv.
Additionally, another internet provocateur was uncovered in the capital, a 26-year-old fitness trainer who called on men to avoid mobilization and spread false information about the Armed Forces on his Instagram page.
In the Fastiv district of Kyiv region, a citizen from a Central Asian country was arrested for urging Ukrainians to lay down their arms against the Russians.
To promote hostile content, he created accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, gathering an audience of 60 thousand users.
Cyber specialists from the SBU also detained a Kyiv resident who praised Putin and glorified the Russian occupation forces in Russian social media.
In Kropyvnytskyi, a 41-year-old displaced person from Donetsk was arrested for supporting the occupation of Eastern Ukraine on the social network Odnoklassniki.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, a 30-year-old resident of the village of Perehresne was exposed for calling Russia's armed aggression a "civil war" on his Facebook page.
Judicial-linguistic examinations initiated by the SBU confirmed the information sabotage activities of the detainees in favor of the Kremlin.
Investigators from the Security Service have notified them of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 1 of Article 114-1 (obstruction of lawful activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations during a special period);
- Parts 2, 3 of Article 436-2 (justification and legitimization of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants);
- Part 2 of Article 109 (public calls for violent change of the constitutional order and distribution of materials for such actions).
The wrongdoers are currently in custody and face up to 8 years in prison with property confiscation.
Comprehensive measures were conducted under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad regional, and Kyiv city prosecutor's offices, as well as the Office of the General Prosecutor.
