Ukraine Was Called the Aggressor: Case Against a Pro-Russian Telegram Channel in Mykolaiv

For a 52-year-old resident of Mykolaiv, suspected of spreading pro-Russian propaganda, the court ordered pre-trial detention without setting bail. The decision was made after considering the motion by Ivan Dirko, an investigating judge at the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

At the hearing, the man denied his guilt and authorship of the messages attributed to him. He suggested that someone else might have gained access to his account and posted messages in his name. The suspect also allowed for the possibility that law enforcement officers had provoked him.

According to the investigation, the Mykolaiv resident attracted the attention of a Russian handler with comments in pro-Russian Telegram chats. He later began administering a public channel with an audience of more than 13,000 subscribers. Investigators believe that the content was approved by a representative of the Russian Federation before publication.

The posts spread anti-Ukrainian narratives, blaming Ukraine for starting the war and calling it the aggressor state. Some messages denied Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Mykolaiv Oblast said that materials systematically published by the administrator had been examined in a semantic and linguistic analysis. Experts found signs that they were intended to support Russia’s armed aggression.

The motion submitted to the court also states that the suspect provided his Russian contact with the details of his personal bank account. According to the materials, he expected to receive payment for his activities.

The man was notified of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Part 6 of Article 111-1 — information activities in cooperation with an aggressor state, aimed at supporting its armed aggression;
• Part 3 of Article 436-2 — justifying, recognizing as lawful, or denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine using the mass media.

If convicted, the suspect faces up to 12 years in prison, with confiscation of property. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

We previously reported:

• Mykolaiv detention center employee prayed to Putin and called for a strike on his own facility
• When a journalist becomes a traitor: pro-Russian propagandist from Mykolaiv sentenced in absentia
• A “Shariy supporter” behind bars: former head of the Mykolaiv branch sentenced for treason
• SBU in Mykolaiv exposes freelancer who fabricated anti-Ukrainian fake news for pro-Russian Telegram channels