The SSU has collected evidence against Serhii Stepanov, the owner and editor-in-chief of the sanctioned online publication Politnavigator, who is hiding in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

The SSU notified Stepanov of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 110.1 (encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability);
• 111.1 (high treason).

According to the investigation, in April 2014, while on the Ukrainian peninsula, he created an online propaganda publication for the benefit of the aggressor state.

Stepanov used his media resource to spread kremlin’s narratives and discredit Ukraine on the international arena.

In this unlawful activity, he involved ‘like-minded people’, who prepared anti-Ukrainian content.

To disguise their involvement, the pseudo-journalists acted as freelance correspondents under fake names and posed as ‘experts’.

In their publications, they justified russia’s armed aggression and seizure of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Before writing propaganda texts, the ‘authors’ received step-by-step instructions from Stepanov on how to prepare such material.

For disseminating destructive content, they received ‘fees’ from the occupiers through russian electronic payment systems.

In April and July 2022, the SSU detained two fake ‘experts’ in Kyiv and Vinnytsia. They are currently in custody.

The SSU-initiated forensic linguistic examination confirmed the facts of information and sabotage activity of Stepanov and his accomplices.

The SSU is acting to bring him to justice for crimes against Ukraine’s state security. The proceeding has been submitted to court.

Stepanov is facing up to 15 years in prison.

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