Last week, SBU cyber specialists have exposed almost 50 new Internet agitators which spread various fakes on pandemic COVID-19.

Since the beginning of the quarantine, the SBU has found 370 Internet agitprops and documented the fact that 17 of them acted on the task of the Russian side. The number of online communities blocked is about 2,500,000, with millions of followers.

The SBU cyber experts concluded that the activities of the security services of the aggressor country and the spy networks they manage will only increase. Propagandists use all means of information to confuse citizens, inflame panic and inability of public authorities to carry out their functions on purpose.

Thus, Russian secret services and troll-controlled networks called for the violation of quarantine, protest actions, forceful takeover of power, as well as media support for disruptive and anti-state measures via the Internet.

The Security Service of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings against 17 agitprops acting on the Russian side, for actions aimed at violating the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, forceful change or overthrow of the constitutional order or takeover of government (Art. 109 and 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Such agitators "worked" in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, Kherson, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi, Konotop, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi and Zhashkiv cities.

A resident of Zhashkiv, Cherkasy region, a member of one of the illegal paramilitary associations, posted anti-Ukrainian materials on his websites with calls for the forceful takeover of government. Furthermore, he promulgated the discriminatory articles on the Ukrainian military units and law enforcement agencies.

The attacker has been served a suspicion notice of committing the crime under Part 2 Art.109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. A pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Information on the identified 353 agitators was sent to the National Police. The law enforcement has already held 145 propagandists administratively liable for proliferation of false information that could cause panic or public disorder 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, we remind that criminal and administrative responsibility is to be taken for the deliberate destabilization of the situation, including through the Internet.

In addition, on the SBU Head Ivan Bakanov proposal, the President of Ukraine has put into effect the Decision of the National Security Defense Council of Ukraine on prolongation of sanctions against Russian social networks Odnoklassniki and VKontakte, as well as other Russian websites and software programs.