Since the beginning of the quarantine, the Security Service of Ukraine blocked over 2,100 online communities with total number of followers to 900,000, exposed 301 internet-agitprops, which spread fakes on pandemic COVID-19. Fourteen of the exposed are established to have acted on Russian side.

The Security Service of Ukraine actively counters the Russian special services accomplices, who spread destructive content to destabilize the social-political situation in the country.

SBU cyber-experts confirm that there is an increase in the activity of Kremlin-backed online-agitprops. They try to use any passage of information to trigger chaos and panics. In particular, on the curators’ task, the agitators shared fake news about the Easter and May holidays celebrations, forced quarantine restrictions, and other measures related to compliance with the rules on protection against the spread of coronavirus infection.

The SBU found the activation of Russian trolls and botofarms in calls for violation of quarantine restrictions, information support of protest actions. During the May holidays, they switched from the coronavirus topic to other socio-political issues. Russian special services use various ways to affect the media space of Ukraine, spread panic and separatist inclinations.

For example, in Odesa, the SBU prevented attempts of representatives of the pro-Russian Kulikove Pole movement to organize a series of provocations on the anniversary of the tragedy that took place on May 2, 2014. The organizers planned to distribute campaigning products of a separatist character with calls for the creation of the so-called "Republic of Novorosiia" and the forceful takeover of power.

During the searches, law enforcement seized printings with the division of Ukraine into fake "Republic of Novorosiia" and "Bandera’s Ukraine", stickers with texts "Odesa Russian Garden" and "Odesa - Novorosiia", symbols with totalitarian regime propaganda, etc. Investigative actions are ongoing within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated under Part 2 Art. 110, Part 1 Art. 109, Part 1 Art. 14 and Part 1 Art. 294 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, the SBU exposed three locals who were spreading calls for quarantine protests on the May holidays. The analysis of electronic correspondence of the suspects indicates that their actions were coordinated from Russia. SBU operatives even found out that one of the agitators had been forced to post appeals for violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine by one of the agitators, threatening to deport his mother, who works in Moscow.

Under Articles 109 and 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine the SBU initiated criminal proceedings on 14 agitators acting on the Russian side. Such agitators "worked" in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, Kherson, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi and Konotop cities.

SBU forwarded information on the 287 identified agitators to the National Police. 118 individuals have already been held administratively responsible for crimes under Article 173-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

The Security Service of Ukraine urges Internet users to be vigilant and pay special attention to internet security, trust only the information from official sources.

Once again, the Security Service of Ukraine reminds of the criminal and administrative responsibility for the deliberate destabilization of the situation, including through the Internet.

Earlier, the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov submitted proposals to the National Security Defense Council of Ukraine to continue sanctions against Russian social networks Odnoklassniki, VKontakte and other Russian websites.