SBU detains ex-telejournalist, three of his accomplices who called for armed resistance to mobilisation

The Security Service of Ukraine exposed a former TV journalist and three of his accomplices who provoked society to armed resistance to mobilisation and spread fakes about Ukrainian defenders.

This is stated in the SBU Telegram channel.

‘As a result of preventive measures in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and Transcarpathian Regions, a group working to disrupt mobilisation and leak data on the Ukrainian military was neutralised. One of the organisers of the criminal group was a former host of popular Ukrainian TV projects, and now a well-known blogger who spreads pro-Kremlin narratives,’ the SBU said in a statement.

It is known that the suspect involved seven other accomplices in information and subversive activities in favour of the aggressor country. They include pseudo-experts, administrators of online communities and video editing specialists.

According to the investigation, the defendants called for armed resistance to the TRC employees and law enforcement agencies, as well as spreading fakes about Ukrainian defenders.

‘For the massive dispersal of provocative content, the offenders created their own network of channels and pages on YouTube, Telegram and Facebook with a total audience of over 600 thousand users. On these Internet resources, the offenders streamed and published posts with videos instructing on violent methods of draft evasion. They also created a website where they leaked personal data of Ukrainian military personnel, primarily representatives of the Military Commissariat and law enforcement officers,’ the agency added.

It is noted that to cover their subversive activities, the group members posed as journalists using the certificates of unregistered publications.

According to the investigation, the defendants coordinated their criminal actions through a specially created anonymous chat in a messenger.

During searches of their residences, the SBU found computer equipment and mobile phones at the crime scene.

Two organisers of the group have been detained: the blogger and his accomplice, a pseudo-expert. The SBU investigators served them with a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations).

Also, the criminal actions of two more pseudo-experts of the said group of the controlled Internet network were qualified under the same article.

The issue of serving a notice of suspicion to all other offenders is being settled. The offenders face up to eight years in prison. The investigation is ongoing.