The Security Service of Ukraine has detained another five pro-russian online agitators in several regions of Ukraine. The perpetrators used social media and popular messaging apps to justify russia’s armed aggression and disseminate false information about the Defence Forces.

Two supporters of ruscism were exposed in the Vinnytsia region. One of them is a woman who spread false information about Ukrainian defenders and the operational situation on the front line in her posts.

She systematically reposted pro-kremlin slogans, photographs, and video clips from russian online sources on her TikTok and Odnoklassniki pages.

Additionally, the leader of a local ‘people’s power’ group was arrested in the regional centre for publicly inciting the overthrow of Ukraine’s constitutional order and the seizure of state power.

To disseminate enemy propaganda and find like-minded individuals, the suspect set up his own website and published ‘thematic’ photos and videos on his Facebook and TikTok pages.

The SSU also detained a former militant of the so-called ‘luhansk people’s republic’ who was evading justice and spreading kremlin propaganda.

The investigation revealed that, in 2014, he had joined russia-controlled terrorist groups in the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region.

There, he was assigned to the 7th motorised rifle brigade of the 2nd army corps of russia’s Southern military district.

As part of the russian forces, the militant fought against Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine until 2018. He then moved to central Ukraine and went into hiding.

Subsequently, he began gradually re-establishing contact with acquaintances via messaging apps.

It has been established that during these exchanges, the suspect justified the russian occupiers’ war crimes and called for the complete occupation of Ukraine.

The SSU documented his crimes and detained him at his temporary residence in the Cherkasy region.

In the Donetsk region, the SSU Counterintelligence detained a Kramatorsk blogger who had been posting on a pro-kremlin Telegram channel administered by the russian intelligence services in support of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of its eastern regions.

The agitator also used the online platform to call for continued missile strikes on Kyiv.

In Prykarpattia, the SSU exposed a local state-owned enterprise employee who had created an Odnoklassniki account to glorify russian armed forces.

Mobile phones and computer equipment containing evidence of the offences were seized during the searches.

A linguistic analysis initiated by the Security Service confirmed the agitators’ subversive information activities in russia’s favour.

SSU investigators have notified the detainees of their status as suspects under several Articles of the CCU:

• 109.2 (public calls for the forceful change or overthrow of the constitutional order or for the seizure of state power, as well as the dissemination of materials calling for such actions);
• 110.2 (encroachment upon the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
• 258-3.1 (participation in a terrorist group or organisation);
• 436-1.1, 436-1.2 (production and distribution of communist symbols);
• 436-2 (justifying, recognising as lawful or denying russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and glorifying its participants).

The perpetrators face up to 15 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.

An investigation is also ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the offence and to decide on additional charges under Article 111.1 of the CCU (high treason) against the militant who fought against the Defence Forces in eastern Ukraine.

The operations were carried out by the SSU Offices in the Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural supervision of the regional public Prosecutors’ Offices.