Based on the SSU’s evidence, the court has sentenced a pro-russian blogger Yuriy Podolyaka in absentia to 15 years in prison. The convict is hiding in russia and calls himself the ‘main speaker’ in the war against Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the russia’s full-scale invasion, he has regularly fulfilled the tasks of russian intelligence services to carry out information subversive activity.

To this end, Podolyaka is using his YouTube channel, which has an audience of over 3 million subscribers.

The blogger also has a pro-kremlin Telegram channel, as well as pages on VKontakte and messenger apps.

On these Internet resources, Podolyaka justifies the seizure of Ukrainian territory and the destruction of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

He has also denied the ruscists’ war crimes in Bucha and called the uncovered facts of mass killings of local population ‘staged’.

Podolyaka was also involved in adjusting russia’s missile and artillery strikes on Mykolaiv oblast.

To guide russian weapons at targets in Ukraine, the perpetrator formed his own network of informants in the southern region.

One of these assets was the former head of Mykolaiv District Prosecutor’s Office, who is currently serving a life sentence for treason.

According to the investigation, Podolyaka is a native of Sumy, but in 2014 he moved to russia and began publicly spreading fakes about the socio-political situation in Ukraine.

Based on the evidence, the court found the accused guilty under five Articles of the CCU:

• 109.2 (actions aimed at forceful change or overthrow of constitutional order or seizure of state power);
• 110.1 (distribution of materials calling for changes in the boundaries of the territory in violation of the procedure established by the Constitution of Ukraine);
• 111.2 (high treason, committed under martial law);
• 436 (propaganda of war);
• 436-2.2 (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).

The trial was held in a special court proceeding in the absence of the accused.

As the convict is hiding from prosecution in russia, efforts are underway to bring him to justice. The criminal will be found and punished.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Vinnytsia region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.